Grant in agro stands at Rs 12bn this year
KATHMANDU:
The Ministry of Agricultural Development (MoAD) has unveiled the programmes that are being conducted with grant assistance worth Rs 12 billion for this year through different projects related to agriculture, irrigation and livestock.
The amount also includes the grant being provided by the different donor-funded projects, as per MoAD. It seems large chunk of donation goes to agriculture, which is about 10.28 per cent of the total capital budget earmarked for this fiscal 2014-15.
MoAD Spokesperson Uday Chandra Thakur said that the grant assistance in agriculture has increased substantially this year as the development partners have raised their assistance in agriculture. The government from its own resources is conducting numerous programmes aimed at bringing significant transformations to the sector like agriculture insurance, interest rate subsidy for commercial agriculture, subsidy for farming to the ultra poor to uplift their living standards, among others.
The MoAD is providing huge subsidy in chemical fertilisers worth Rs 5.19 billion for 255,000 tonnes of chemical fertilisers. Likewise, the Project for Agriculture Commercialisation and Trade (PACT) is providing Rs one billion grant for the agriculture projects and agro-market projects that run commercially.
As per MoAD, farmers are getting grants worth Rs 139.76 million for the production, processing and distribution of high quality seeds. Likewise, the grant amount worth Rs 486.26 million is being provided for the cooperative farming, small-scale irrigation projects and as the support to procure agriculture equipment and the grant amount is being distributed across the country. And the farmers involved in mushroom farming and bee keeping are getting grant assistance of Rs 300 million.
With the objective of becoming self-reliant on production of aromatic rice, maize and soybean, the grant amount of Rs 123.34 million has been earmarked.
Likewise, the programmes conducted within certain pocket areas are also mobilising large amount of grant. The One Village One Product (OVOP) programme that is being conducted in 10 districts is utilising the grant amount of Rs 100 million. The commercial farming of buffalo, cow, goat and pigs are enjoying grant of Rs 149.2 million.
Duplication of programmes and pocket areas are seen as major problems facing donor assisted agro projects, as per programme details disclosed by MoAD.
Source: THT
