35 projects selected for R&D

KATHMANDU, SEP 26 -

The Nepal Agricultural and Research Development Fund (NARDF) has selected 35 projects to conduct research and development in the agriculture and livestock sectors.

The project costs Rs 83.02 million. The NARDF will be putting up Rs 75.32 million while the concerned projects will pay the rest.

The fund targets government, non-government, educational, private sector, civil society, cooperative and community-based organizations involved in farm research and development. According to the NARDF, it has awarded Rs 3 million each to seven projects, Rs 2 million each to 27 projects and Rs 1 million to one project. Among the selected projects, 27 are being conducted by non-government organizations, six by various companies and one each by the government and a cooperative.  

“The objective of the fund is to support agricultural research and development for output oriented work within a three-year period,” said Kamal Keshar Khanal, programme officer of the NARDF. “The projects were selected through a competitive process and are particularly focused on agricultural commercialization and meat production.”  

The NARDF is governed by a seven-person fund management committee chaired by the secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Development. The selected projects will work in 28 districts. The NARDF said that under its project concept note, it had received 437 applications initially.

The NARDF was established by a Cabinet decision on Dec 10, 2001 under the Working Fund Act 1986.

Source: The Kathmandu Post