Agricultural machinery concludes with booking worth Rs. 60 million

 Pokhara, Jan. 7

Agricultural machinery and equipment worth Rs. 60 million were booked during the first province-level Agri-Mechinery Exhibition 2080 organised by the Nepal Agricultural Machinery Association (NAMEA) in Pokhara.

About 30,000 people observed the three-day expo which concluded on Sunday. The expo featured more than 70 stalls of 60 companies involved in production, sales, maintenance, training and application of agricultural machinery and equipment.

The organisers said that the first province-level expo also witnessed a transaction of machines worth Rs. 5.5 million. "The event has been a successful venture," said Krishna Sharma, President of the NAMEA. 

On the third day of the exhibition, Sunday alone, machinery worth about Rs. 30 million were booked, while agricultural tools, machinery and agricultural materials worth more than 1.5 million were sold on the same day.

The event was supported by the Agricultural Infrastructure Development and Agricultural Mechanisation Promotion Centre, Directorate of Agricultural Development, Gandaki and Pokhara Metropolitan City.

Speaking at the closing programme of the event, Mayor of Pokhara Metropolitan  City, Dhana Raj Acharya, expressed his commitment to allocating the budget in the field of agriculture as per the need. He said that since agriculture is a never-ending profession, all should continue working to develop it with the adoption of machines and technology.

He also promised to increase the agriculture-sector budget of the metropolis.

Gaurav Shrestha, Secretary of NAMEA, said, "The programme was very encouraging. As we thought, the main attraction of the programme was the indigenous products. It has encouraged many domestic producers."

The exhibition aimed at providing information about modern technology, as well as various agricultural tools, equipment and services in one place, and creating awareness among policymakers and consumers about agricultural mechanisation and technology.

A total of 60 companies had 70 stalls at the event. Out of the 70 stalls, nine were under the Made in Nepal pavilion and 15 were local crops. There were also two foreign stalls from the two Indian machinery manufacturers. More than 1,000 types of agricultural machinery, tools, equipment and technologies from more than 10 countries were exhibited at the exhibition in Pokhara.

National and international companies in the field including modern agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, floriculture, commercial vegetable cultivation and processing, marketing, modern devices, equipment and technology materials, seeds, and modern irrigation participated in the exhibition,

Arjun Luintel, General Secretary of NAMEA, said that preparations are being made to hold the second province-level agricultural mechanisation exhibition in Madhesh Province as well.

At the sidelines of the expo, a seminar on the promotion of agricultural mechanization, display of dishes of local (Raithane) crops and discussion and interaction on local crops and conservation of agricultural biodiversity were organised.

"The expo has been immensely effective in informing about the modern technology related to agriculture, various agricultural tools, equipment, devices and services in one place," said Sunita Nhemaphuki, Vice-President of NAMEA. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 8 January 2024.