Kathmandu – A cooperative campaign is to be implemented in Karnali State for reducing the food shortage in the province. The decision to this effect was taken by an online meeting coordinated by the State government’s Minister for Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives, Bimala KC. The virtual meeting participated in by the State chiefs affiliated with cooperative sector and the national representatives decided to launch the Cooperative Campaign for Increasing Production.
“Food shortage might occur in Karnali after the lockdown. In view of this, we have taken seven decisions in the Sunday meeting. We can expect support to averting a food crisis in the State with the implementation of this Campaign,” Minister KC said. According to her, the meeting decided to connect all cooperatives in the province to the production campaign for minimising the possible food shortage, to provide concessional loans to the share-holder members and groups who want to invest in the agriculture sector and to deliver the essential services from the cooperatives by abiding by the lockdown.
Similarly, it has been decided to provide the share-holder members and groups who want utilise the uncultivated land in farming activities subsidies on seed, fertiliser, seedlings, fish fingerlings and production of chicks through facilitation with the State government. It is said the cooperative will themselves provide land on lease and help in the marketisation. Suggestions to this end would be furnished for incorporating this provision in the State government’s policy and programme. The meeting also decided to prepare a report on the role played by cooperatives throughout the province in responding to the coronavirus pandemic.
The meeting participants had suggested linking the Karnali State’s production to employment, increasing investments in agriculture, and involving the youths returned to their villages from within and abroad in self-employment programmes. They urged the government to turn the COVID-19 challenges into opportunities for self-sufficiency. The presidents of Cooperative Association from 10 districts of Karnali State, the State coordinator and the chief and representative at the national level cooperative participated in the meeting.
