KATHMANDU, Oct 7: A group of young entrepreneurs have started a new department store in Gatthaghar, Bhaktapur, with the idea of eliminating poison from everyday food.

"Our motto is to promote local products without poisonous chemicals in them," said Menaka Pachhai, one of the founders of Likhu Agricultural Department Store. The store has over 1,000 ropanis of land in Okhaldhunga. The land is being used for farming bananas, pomegranates and fish and other vegetables. More than three dozen people are currently employed in the farm in Okhaldhunga.

"We want to eliminate middlemen and connect consumers and farmers directly," said Lochan Basnet, another founder of the store. The store claims to be the first-of-its-kind in Nepal where farmers and consumers are directly connected, without middlemen. Krishna Maya Gosai and Gopi Maya Gosai, local farmers from Bhaktapur, inaugurated the store on Saturday.

 
• likhu
 
• agriculture
 
• poison-free
 
• food