Kathmandu. The government has announced to implement a package-based production system for increasing agricultural production, reducing input costs and ensuring food self-sufficiency. The government has pledged to promote multilateral investment to establish agriculture as a respectable and enterprising profession.

The government has adopted a policy to accelerate agricultural modernization through mechanization, digital technology and agritech. It is stated that agricultural products would be linked to industry, processing and market by developing specialized production zones and human resources returned from foreign employment would be attracted to agro enterprises.

The government has a plan to determine the minimum support price of major agricultural crops before the planting of crops and implement it effectively. The support price payment system will be digitized and the amount will be directly deposited in the bank accounts of farmers. Private companies and cooperatives purchasing agriculture products at minimum support price would be given concessions while food management and trading companies would be made more efficient.

Post-production losses and supply chain strengthening will be done by establishing agriculture companies and networks in public-private partnership. The government aims to promote export through storage, branding and marketing of agricultural products with quality and distinct identity.

Barren land would be converted into production through the land bank system, access to subsidized finance would be expanded through farmers ID cards and credit cards, and contract farming, cooperative farming and agro-forestry system would be encouraged.

Likewise, the government has adopted a policy of subsidizing organic fertilizer, conserving indigenous crops, strengthening livestock business and conducting campaign-oriented vaccination programmes for the control of livestock diseases. In the forest sector, it aims to increase its contribution to the economy through medicinal herbs, ayurvedic medicines, carbon trading and forest-based industries.