Kathmandu, September 3
Nepal’s Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development has criticised the government-run Nepal Agricultural Research Council, complaining it just ‘localised’ old research in the field and claimed as its ‘invention’, in front of international delegates.
Inaugurating a two-day international meeting on seeds in Kathmandu on Tuesday, Chakra Pani Khanal said the council was running in a traditional way and it could not carry out scientific research for the farmers though the country had abundant possibilities in the field.
“We cannot consider it an invention when you modify research conducted 50 years ago and ‘nepalise’ it,” Khanal said, complaining the council was still confused if fall armyworms entered Nepal though they already destroyed a section of maize cultivation here.
Informing that the government wanted to double the country’s agricultural production in the next five years, he urged the stakeholders to support.
Agriculture scientists and government officials from Nepal, India, Pakistan, Kenya and Zimbabwe among other countries are present in the event.
