KATHMANDU, March 26: The government has claimed that Nepal has become self-reliant in a number of farm products including egg, milk powder, butter and meat.
Amid a program organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD) on Thursday, Prime Minister KP Oli declared the country self-dependent in the aforementioned products. According to the ministry, the proclamation has been made based on the standard set by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations regarding the demand and production of these products inside the country.
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Records maintained by the MoALD show that egg production has reached 55 units per person per year. As per the FAO norms, egg production should be at least 48 per capita per year for a country to be self-reliant in eggs.
Similarly, meat production amounts 18 kg per person and fish production has reached 3.5 kg per person. Nepal produces an average of 450,000 tons of meat annually, out of which 46 percent is chicken. An average of 3.3 million units of goats are consumed annually.
Likewise, demand for milk powder stands at 3,000 tons per year while the production is 3,400 tons. The country produces and consumes 1,200 tons of butter annually.
Speaking at the program, Prime Minister Oli said being self–reliant in these agro products could ensure increased employment opportunities in the sector while giving good income to the farmers.
