KATHAMANDU, Dec 18: Vegetable Development Directorate (VDD) under the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MoAD) is sending teams to eight different districts for selecting recipients of its agri tourism grant.

The teams will be sent to Salle Jaamune area of Kavre, Machhamara area of Sunsari, Shankarapur Municipality of Kathmandu, Ghodaghodi Lake of Kailali, Pattale area of Solukhumbu and Kakani area of Nuwakot. Likewise, teams have also been sent to Siraichuli and Upardang Gadhi area of Chitwan and Rautamaai Pokhari of Udayapur.

The department has received a total of 17 applications for agri tourism grant, Khemraj Joshi, senior vegetable development officer of the directorate, said. 

According to Joshi, the directorate has received seven applications from Kavre, Kathmandu and Solukhumbu combined, three from Nuwakot district, two applications each from Kailali, Chitwan and Sunsari, and one from Udayapur.

“All the teams will make a field visit of the area proposed by the applicants for utilizing the grant. We will select the recipients on the basis of reports prepared by the teams,” said Joshi.

The directorate plans to complete site inspection and selection process by mid-January, 2018. “We are working to complete the selection process by mid-January and distribute the grant by January-end,” he added. “As the main objective of the program is to increase income of farmers by promoting agri tourism, we are hopeful that it will see encouraging participation of the local community.”

The directorate is implementing the program in the current fiscal year only. “We do not know which government agency will implement it next year,” Joshi added.

Yogendra Karki, the spokesperson for MoAD, said that the ministry was planning to implement the programs in coordination with the local bodies now onwards. “Since the local bodies will implement all development programs in their respective areas, I think they will be the best to implement this program,” added Karki.

 
• paddy production
 
• khotang