Kathmandu: Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Jwala Kumari Shah has emphasized on creating a situation for increasing export rather than import.
Addressing a program organized by the Centre for Crop Development and Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation in the context of the National Agricultural Biodiversity Year, 2023 on Wednesday, she said, “We should think of ways of increasing export rather than import. We need to seriously think over why we lag behind in agriculture despite being a predominantly agricultural country.”
The Minister underscored the need of adopting a policy of crop and biodiversity conservation.
Ministry secretary Dr Govinda Prasad Sharma shed light on the importance of the National Agriculture Biodiversity Day celebrated on the 1st of Magh every year according to the Nepali calendar.
“More than 40 percent biodiversity has declined in the agriculture sector in Nepal. We will be facing a big challenge if we fail to conserve biodiversity even now,” he cautioned.
Similarly, Dr Deepak Kumar Kharal, other secretary of the Ministry, said the conservation of bio-diversities was vital to make human life easier and sustainable.
“Farmers’ community was the first point for the conservation of biological diversities and our policies and plans should be formulated with priority to their concerns and needs,” he asserted.
Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NAARC) executive director Dr Deepak Bhandari pressed for the needs of conserving, promoting as well as the properly utilizing bio-diversities in agriculture.
Center for Crop Development and Agro Biodiversity Conservation Chief Dr Ram Krishna Shrestha gave his presentation on the National Agriculture Biological Diversity Year, 2079 BS while National Agriculture Genetic Resources Centre-Genebank Chief Dr Balkrishna Joshi talked about biological diversity conservation and NARC accomplishments.Associate professor at the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Subodh Khanal, highlighted the study, reaches and achievements of the university in regard to agro-bio- diversity.
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