Lalitpur, October 16:

Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives Mahantha Thakur today said priority should be given to investment in research for better production of food grain in the country. While addressing the function organised to mark the 26th World Food Day organised by the World Food Day Committee of the Department of Agriculture here today, minister Thakur said the government is working to ensure food security on a permanent basis. He also said investment from the private and public sectors is also essential for the growth of the agricultural sector because the government alone cannot achieve the goals.

Minister Thakur also said food scarcity has been increased this year due to the drought and floods. Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives Ganesh KC said the nation has been facing problem of food scarcity due to lack of investment in this sector. “Time has come to change the thought pattern on the investment. Investment should now be diverted to the agriculture sector as well,” he said, adding that the government has a challenge to solve the problem of food scarcity in the country.

He also said the government is committed to seeking investment in the agriculture sector.

Talking about farmers’ complaint over insufficient amount of travel and daily allowances, secretary KC said a special decision would be made during such occasions to increase their allowances.

Some farmers had also complaint that the organisers had deducted tax on their prize amounts. Other speakers at the function also expressed dissatisfaction over the deduction. Minister Thakur also apologised for the same and assured such mistakes would not be repeated in the coming years.

Minister Thakur, member of National Planning Commission Dr Indira Shrestha, director general of DoA Dip Bahadur Swanr, Food and Agricultural Organisation country representative to Nepal Bui Thi Lan jointly handed over prizes to the best 88 farmers coming from various parts of the country. The farmers were taken to visit the Agro Expo 2006.