Kathmandu, June 5
India has built
a modern National Food Laboratory (NFL) at Raxaul of Bihar to support swift
testing of goods being exported from Nepal.
Minister of
Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya
inaugurated the lab amidst a programme on Sunday. Minister for Agriculture and
Livestock Development, Government of Nepal, Mahendra Rai Yadav was invited as
the guest to the inaugural programme.
The NFL at
Raxaul, established by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), is
a modern facility equipped with advanced facilities and infrastructure for
testing of food samples entering India, Embassy of India in Kathmandu said in a
statement.
The lab will
support enhanced bilateral trade between India and Nepal by reducing the time
taken for testing samples of food and agricultural exports of the latter which
currently need to be sent to New Delhi or Kolkata for testing.
As the testing
process would delay the clearance of the goods being exported, Nepali
exporters, especially those trading in agricultural and perishable goods, are
facing difficulties.
“The creation of
an upgraded laboratory at Raxaul was a longstanding request of Nepal’s
exporters which now stands fulfilled. The NFL is yet another reflection of
India’s commitment to improve connectivity, trade and border infrastructure
with Nepal as part of its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy," said the embassy.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 6 June 2022.
No comments:
Post a Comment