KATHMANDU, JUNE 23
Finance Minister Janardan Sharma argued that the government has switched to the policy of encouraging farmers to produce instead of providing them with grant.
During a meeting with the World Bank's Managing Director Mari Elka Pangestu today, the finance minister said the government's new move was targeted to increase production by encouraging farmers.
"The loan has not reached poor farmers. There are examples in which small farmers have honestly repaid the loans that they had borrowed. However, the grants have not reached the real and small farmers. So, we opted for the policy of encouraging (the real farmers)," Minister Sharma argued.
Stating that the budget has accorded top priority to agriculture, Minister Sharma said development partners' support and assistance was needed for the same. Sharing that the government had unveiled the idea of agriculture ambulance to ensure accessible supply of agricultural goods to the market, the finance minister said Nepal's trade deficit could not be reduced until the import of agricultural goods worth Rs 350 billion was substituted.
During the meeting, World Bank's Managing Director Mari Elka Pangestu urged the minister to pay attention to food security adding that green, resilient and inclusive development is about building a better future.
A version of this article appears in the print on June 24, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
