JUMLA, Jan 14: Nepal Food Corporation (NFC) has started buying beans and buckwheat from farmers in Karnali.
The state-owned food distributor has been buying farm products from farmers in Jumla, Mugu and Kalikot of Karnali. The corporation has requested farmers to visit its office with their products.
Rana Bahadur Ayer, the chief of NFC in Jumla, said they were not buying farm products from Humla and Dolpa as these districts do not have road access. “We cannot buy foodstuffs from farmers' doorsteps as we have limited staffers,” he added.
NFC plans to buy 450 quintal of beans and 80 quintal of buckwheat from Karnali zone this year. A committee led by Chief District Officer of Jumla, Rudra Prasad Pandit, has fixed price of beans and buckwheat at Rs 110 and Rs 80 per kg, respectively.
Beans and buckwheat are currently selling for Rs 120 and Rs 100 per kg, respectively.
NFC has lowered price of buckwheat by Rs 5 per kg compared to last year.
Drop in prices of farm products has left local farmers worrying. Mun Bahadur Rawal, a farmer from Jumla, said that NFC has been buying small quantity from farmers that too at low price.
Local farmers have urged the local administration to consider price in the local market before fixing price of their products.
According to Ayer, traders are reaching doorsteps of farmers to buy beans and buckwheat. “NFC will buy whatever is remaining with farmers,” he added.
Jumla beans, buckwheat lie unsold in NFC warehouse
