AEC to expand agro project to 10 districts
KATHMANDU, OCT 31 -
The Agro Enterprise Centre ( AEC ), a division of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), is extending its High Value Agriculture Project to 10 hilly districts in two weeks. The programme is being funded by a grant of Rs 3 billion and is expected to enhance agro business worth Rs 5 billion, according to the AEC .
According to the AEC , the six-year project has targeted enhancing the commercialisation of agriculture production mainly in the high hill districts of the Mid- and Far Western regions. It will support agricultural enterprises currently in operation and new businesses.
The AEC has started receiving proposals from enterprises related to agricultural business. “We have planned to start the programme immediately after Tihar,” said Pradip Maharjan, chief executive officer of the AEC . According to him, they will give priority to enterprises run by Dalits, ethnic groups and women while selecting them for the project.
The AEC is implementing the programme in association with the government, Agricultural Development Bank and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The planned programme will include two projects—Raising Incomes of Small and Medium Farmers Project (RISMFP) and High Mountain Agribusiness and Livelihood Improvement (HIMALI).
According to the AEC , the HIMALI project has planned to promote livestock production, pashmina raw material and eco tourism. It is being implemented in 10 hilly districts including Sankhuwasabha, Mustang, Mugu, Humla, Manang, Solukhumbu, Dolakha, Jumla, Kalikot and Dolpa. Similarly, the RISMFP will be implemented in five districts each of the Mid-Western and Far Western regions.
The programme will provide subsidies of up to 80 percent of the total cost of the project operated by small farmers and farm cooperatives. Similarly, it will provide subsidies of up to 50 percent to projects whose total cost is at least Rs 50 million. “The programme will support a project for up to three years,” said Maharjan.
According to him, the programme will fund farmers only after assessing their potential in the concerned agro products. Earlier, the project used to provide mostly training and seeds, fertilisers and agricultural tools directly to the farmers. Maharjan added that the programme would analyse the area of land with farmers and their specific scheme relevant to their land. “In addition, landless farmers who will be able to rent land for at least five years are also eligible to receive the grants,” he said.
Source: The Kathmandu Post
