Speaking on the occasion, Minister Dutta expressed his dissatisfaction over allocating a nominal budget for agriculture ministry. [break]
The government has set aside 3.75 percent of the total budget of the current fiscal year for agriculture.
“Agriculture Ministry is at the 8th position in terms of budget size. We have to focus on agriculture, which need to be the 3rd largest recipient of annual budget,” said Dutta.
Om Prakash Yadav, Minister of State for Agriculture and Cooperatives, said the government has initiated the process to provide subsidy to farmers on organic fertilizers to reduce their dependence on chemical fertilizers, which are often in short supply.
Shankar Shrestha, central member of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), drew the attention of the government to frequent disruptions in exporting goods to India.
Total 125 stalls have been set up showcasing different vegetables, modern technology being applied in the farms, varieties and improved seeds, modern agriculture inputs as well as locally produced dairy, meat, fruits, among other items.
The festival, which has been organised with the slogan - Foundation of Market Oriented Agriculture: Infrastructure of Prosperous Nepal - also features host of events including symposium, interaction and cultural programs related to agriculture.
Achievements of National Maize Program in Rampur (Chitwan), traditional sugarcane crushing machine from Palpa, fish from Rupandehi, organic agriculture products from different villages and drip-irrigation technology are among the major attractions of the festival.
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