ILAM, Aug 7: Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, Chakrapani Khanal, has held discussion with the tea farmers from Jhapa and Ilam districts.

The farmers shared the plight that the government did not heed problems in tea farming as it has done to other sectors. Tea entrepreneur Udaya Chapagain complained to the Minister that the government had a zilch role to promote tea farming. It is running with private sector efforts, he added. According to him, the committee formed to solve problems of tea farming had submitted its report to the Ministry, but no initiative was taken as per the recommendation.

It has been some 150 years since the tea plantation began in the east, but no lucrative result has been achieved, said district chairman of Tea Producers' Cooperatives, Premraj Gurung, accusing the government of adopting a biased policy. The Minister was suggested that the government provided subsidy to the farmers to bolster the tea farming.

Bearing in mind the suggestions and problems shared during the meeting, Minister Khanal assured, "Government is serious to solve the problems relating to labors, industry, and marketing to prop up tea farming." He also committed to implementing the suggestions of the report. "A plan would be formulated soon to prevent tea business from further decline," he reiterated.

 
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• farmers