Kathmandu, April 10
Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Ghanashyam Bhusal, has drawn the attention of the local government bodies to the possibility of famine in the country as the agricultural activities have not been smooth in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.
Minister Bhusal wrote a letter to the chiefs of all 753 local governments in the country, informing that the ban on the export of agricultural produce in many countries and price hikes could result in difficulty to meet the demand in days to come.
“The current situation across the world will result in a decrease in foreign jobs, meaning the number of people returning home will increase while the working-age group here will face difficulty to find employment opportunities. On the other hand, the food production will also decrease. The collective outcome will put the country in a situation where it is unable to meet the demand,” said Bhusal.
Stating that the agricultural sector would be crucial in battling the socio-economic challenges, he informed the local bodies of the five policies the ministry put forward to avoid reaching such a situation. They include equal distribution of relief packages for production, easy loan packages and technological assistance for farmers, insurance of the crops and livestock, and good prices for their production.
Meanwhile, he requested the local bodies to provide information on the local food consumption behaviour, and the possibility of using barren lands.
