Roadmap for agricultural sufficiency unveiled

Kathmandu / May 06: The Ministry of Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperatives has come up with a roadmap to make the country self-sufficient on agriculture production with proper management and expansion of agriculture, livestock, land management and cooperatives sector.

Minister for Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperatives, Chakrapani Khanal ‘Baldev’ unveiled the roadmap brought with the theme of “All Nepali’s commitment, modernization in agriculture and employment in every house: the base of socialism” amidst a programme at the Ministry today.

On the occasion, the Minister stressed on the need of creation of employment opportunities through the promotion of agriculture sector, making the country self-sufficient on agro products and taking the country towards the position of exporting agro products after few years. He pledged to go with the roadmap in coordination among the center, province and local levels.

Stress on production increase and marketisation

On the occasion, the Minister stated that a programme relating to agriculture production and marketisation would be implemented in all seven provinces in coordination of the ministry and participation of private and cooperative sectors. Minimum support price of main –main agro products will be fixed to encourage farmers to produce agricultural tools and for marketisation, he added.

Through the roadmap, the government dreams of making the country self-sufficient on potato, onion, chilii and green vegetables productions within the next three years.

A big store house with the capacity of at least 100,000 metric tons will be established on the public-private-cooperative partnership model in all seven provinces for systematic storage of agro products. Likewise, an integrated agriculture market with all essential physical infrastructures and facilities of information system, cold stores, organic fertilizer testing lab, agro processing center, packaging, canning and grading centers will be established in every province and at local levels.

Land management

A tillage problem resolution unit would be set up in the Ministry for addressing the problem related to dual ownership over land between the land-owner and the tiller. The ’tiller tradition’ would be completely put to an end within the coming one year, according to Minister Khanal.

He said necessary policy arrangements would be made for the long-term resolution by collecting the integrated data of land transactions which the then CPN Maoist had overseen during the time of the People’s War.

The roadmap states that the situation of service-seekers being cheated by the middle-men when they go to get their works done at the land revenue and land survey offices would be ended.

Similarly, it mentions that a system would be put in place by which the service-seekers could directly lodge an application at the related offices by simplifying within six months the form and the process for demarcation of borders of land plots through survey, land registration, sale and purchase of land, land ownership transfer and division of land property which are of direct concern of people.

Minister Khanal said that online payment system would be adopted for paying revenue related to land administration.

Additional concession to women

The Minister announced providing concession to women for increasing women’s ownership over land to 50 per cent from the present 25.7 per cent. “Required initiatives would be taken to revise the present provision regarding providing concession on the revenue on land registration under single ownership of women or under joint ownership of both husband and wife to increase the concession up to 40 per cent,” he added.

Cooperative sugar factory to be established

The Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives also announced that special initiatives would be undertaken in coordination with the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies to bring Birgunj Sugar Factory in Province-3 and the Lumbini Sugar Factory in Province-5 under the cooperative model within the next one year.

He said works would be undertaken on starting a cooperatives sugar factory in Province-7.

Monitoring to be carried out for implementation of programmes

The Minister also said that the working model for systematic monitoring would be developed and monitoring carried out in an effective manner for making the federal projects and programmes run under the Ministry result-oriented. He further added that a system would be developed in which the chief or the bodies concerned would be made accountable in case the output of any project or programme does not meet the target.

He also stated that a system would be developed for signing a performance contract while appointing the departmental chief, project chief and the office chief and that performance contract would be in consonance with the goals, objectives and functions of the organisation. Minister Khanal further said that a system would be put in place that will ensure the evaluation of the opportunities for the professional progress and career development of the employees. RSS