KATHMANDU. 

Gandaki State has increased budget for the agriculture sector for the upcoming fiscal year 2020/21.

As per the budget presented by Economic Affairs and Planning, Kiran Gurung on Monday, out of 34.84 billion total budget, a total of Rs 3.16 billion has been allocated for agriculture, cooperatives and land management. The budget for the agriculture sector has been increased by Rs 741 million for the upcoming fiscal year as compared to current fiscal year. The Gandaki State government has incorporated programmes by creating employment and increasing productions envisioning that many migrant workers might return home after losing their overseas jobs due to COVID-19 in coming fiscal year.

The budget has given continuity to establish pocket areas of different crops, fruits, cash crops, vegetables and fishery in order to implement ‘one municipal, one production’ programme further effective. The Gandaki State government has allocated Rs 20 million for this scheme. A programme to develop breeding centre to increase productivity by improving hybrid of cow, buffalo and goats has also been included in the budget. The State government has also allocated Rs 20.2 million budget for management of a programme by providing concessional loan to the farmers.

Giving continuity to a programme encouraging cooperative, collective, contract and commercial farming, the budget has made an arrangement of necessary budget for the programme encouraging such groups on the basis of production quantity of agricultural production. One cooperative, one production programme has been given continuity in the budget.