Ag has huge potential for value addition: Pun

Kathmandu, Sept. 27: Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun Tuesday said that the country must be self-reliant on agricultural products including dairy, fruit and vegetables.

Speaking on the occasion of the launching of ‘Dairy Mirror’, a Nepal Dairy Association (NDA) publication, and Dairy Expo at Baneshwor Banquet, VP Pun said, “Agriculture is the sector with huge potential for value addition, export business and employment generation.”

He expressed concerns over the declined contribution of agriculture to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) but stated that the contribution of the dairy sector to the GDP was satisfactory and on the growing trend.

The dairy sector has 9 per cent contribution to the GDP.

He urged the government to provide subsidy on feed, equipment and technology transfer in order to develop the dairy sector.

VP Pun was much concerned over the farmers being cheated by middlemen.

“There is a huge gap between what farmers get by selling their products and consumers pay to buy these products. The farmers must get the appropriate price of their goods,” he said.

Senior Vice President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Bhawani Rana said that the government has failed to develop and promote the dairy and other agriculture related products.

“Agriculture can create self employment and many other jobs and it can significantly contribute to the national economy. But, government and policy makers have failed to tap the potential of this sector through better policies,” said Rana.

President of the NDA Sumit Kedia informed that about 450,000 farmer households were involved in the dairy sector and the dairy industry had employed approximately 20,000 people.

There is about Rs. 15 billion investment in the dairy sector.

The country produces 4,800,000 liters per day and 1,700,000 metric tons per year.

According to the NDA statistics, the dairy business sends about Rs. 30 million from the urban areas to the villages daily.

Established in 1998, the NDA has 175 members. The Dairy Mirror is an annual publication of the Association that includes articles related to milk and dairy industry written by the experts.