Local level fails to protect arable lands: NA Chair Timilsina

The National Assembly Chairperson Ganesh Prasad Timilsina has accused the local level of failure to protect arable lands.

He stressed the need for stopping plotting and the expansion of human settlements so as to protect them. “Arable lands have been shrinking. Plotting them is increasing,” he said emphasising the need for cooperatives to start collective farming.

He was speaking at the 15th annual general assembly of the Nepal Agriculture Cooperative Central Association Limited (NACCAL) here today. Trade deficit could be decreased by increasing agriculture entrepreneurship through collective farming, he reasoned. The patent registration should take place for the production of agricultural and other products produced home, he said.

To make agricultural products export oriented, there according to him is a need to increase organic products, participation of experts and the use of technologies in agriculture. He also underscored the need for making laws that are farmer friendly.

The NACCAL Chair Khem Bahadur Pathak demanded the resolution of problems like a shortage of fertilizers and seeds, and a lack of irrigation and agriculture technologies facing farmers. He expects the government to do the needful to build an agriculture training and research center.