Collaborative efforts demanded to develop agriculture in province 1

Kathmandu, Dec. 17:

Stakeholders have said that a collaborative effort was needed to develop the agricultural sector in Province No. 1.

"Provincial government has accorded top priority to the development of the agriculture sector and has plans for the mechanisation and commercialisation of agriculture and financing," Sherdhan Rai, Chief Minister of the Province, said at the knowledge sharing event of UNNATI – Inclusive Growth Programme in Nepal.

"Our province has high potential in agriculture and we want to develop the sector and support the people in modernising agriculture and adopting new practices. So, I urge all the stakeholders from the development, private and public sectors to collaborate to support us in this development drive," he said.

According to him, the provincial government is concerned about enhancing value addition and developing the value chain.

He also said that the products from the region should be connected with the markets in the third countries and he thanked UNNATI programme for its support in modernising the agriculture sector.

National Programme Coordinator of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Nabin Kumar Karna said that the project had immensely benefitted the farmers as well as the micro, small and medium enterprises in the eastern hills.

"It has contributed in the use of modern equipment, digital technology and extension of financial services in the villages, and has inspired many to take up agriculture in a different way," he said.

Value Chain Coordinator of the UNNATI Bishnu Prasad Kafle said that the UNNATI programme has achieved 95 per cent physical progress in the last five years of its execution.

"Online platforms have been created. Connections between the producers and markets have been stronger and effective and new markets have been explored. The programme has created a foundation for the future export potential," he said.

National Programme Coordinator of the UNCDF Saroj Nepal said that 35,000 farmers and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) were trained on financial literacy.

"It has contributed in women empowerment as 47 per cent clients of financial service coverage were women," he said.

He urged the government and other concerned parties to work to sustain the achievement made by the project.

UNNATI has promoted the use of digital technology in agriculture, market information and financial services.

According to Nepal, digitalisation of financial services management and delivery process help in reducing time, fraud and built trust between financial service providers and clients.

Mayor of Mahalaxmi Municipality, Dhankuta, Parshu Nepal said that entrepreneurship in farmers should be developed and the stakeholders like the government, private sector, local bodies and donors should come together to meet this objective.

"We are lacking basic infrastructure to promote investment and business in the local bodies, the government must support us in developing the infrastructure," he said.  

Kasper Thede Anderskov, Head of DANIDA Programme Support Unit, urged the government and private sector to increase the business and income of rural families and create opportunities for the youth.

He also urged the government and the development partners to sustain the achievement made by the programme in the eastern hills.

He also used the opportunity to comment on Nepal-Denmark relations and said that the exit of the Danish Government from Nepal was not concerned with its dissatisfaction with the latter or programme implementation.

Tea entrepreneur Milan Kumari Khatri urged the government to promote Nepali tea in the international market and remove complex process in export.

"Old and bio-fuel based machines should be replaced with electric ones and we need support from the government," she said.

She also urged one and all to offer tea as a gift to the guest so as to promote Nepali product.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 19 December 2018.