Govt to encourage farmers instead of providing grant : FM

Kathmandu / June 23: Finance Minister Janardan Sharma has argued that the government switched to the policy to encourage farmers instead of providing them with the grant for the upcoming fiscal year.

During a meeting with the World Bank’s Managing Director Mari Elka Pangestu on Thursday, the Finance Minister said the government’s new move was targeted to increase production by encouraging the farmers.

“The loan has not reached the poor farmers. There are examples that small farmers have honestly repaid the loans if they had borrowed. However, the grants have not reached the real and small farmers. So, we opted the policy to encourage (the real farmers),” Minister Sharma argued.

Stating that the budget has accorded top priority to the agriculture sector in the upcoming fiscal year, Minister Sharma said the development partners’ support and assistance were needed for the same.

Sharing that the government has unveiled the idea of agriculture ambulance to ensure an accessible supply of agricultural goods to the market, the Finance Minister said Nepal’s trade deficit could not be reduced until the imports of agricultural goods worth Rs 350 billion were substituted.

During the meeting, World Bank’s Managing Director Mari Elka Pangestu urged the minister to pay attention to food security adding that green, resilient and inclusive development is about building a better future in an integrated way. (RSS)