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Kathmandu,Saturday January 15, 2000 Magh 1st, 2056.
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National Tea Policy in the offing
-By a Post Reporter
KATHMANDU, Jan
14-Minister for Agriculture, Chakra Prasad Bastola has said that the government will bring
out the much awaited National Tea Policy (NTP) by next week.
Inaugurating the fifth
general assembly of Nepal Tea Association today, Minister Bastola said the NTP contains
everyone’s interests in the tea industries including production, packaging, marketing
and the export of the tea produced in the
country. ‘The policy encompasses all aspects of the industry, Minister Bastola said.
The concept of the policy
was brought several years ago but the process of finalizing was delayed. “Government
was trying to include coffee in the policy which delayed the policy, he said adding, but
the policy no longer includes coffee”.
Though delayed, the policy
has become more positive. “I am of the
opinion that the delaying is good for the tea sector in Nepal”.
Minister Bastola said,
‘this gives an opportunity for us to include the interest of all sectors’.
The government is
effortful to help farmers to seek
international market. Entering upon the WTO regime, we should avoid the traditional method
of farming, Bastola said.
Member of the National
Planning Commission, Hari Shanker Tripathi highlighted the National Tea Policy.
President of Nepal Tea
Association, Rajendra Kumar Dhakal pointed out the problems of marketing and export being
faced by tea producers.
‘’Tea production
in the country is increasing but the producers are facing problems in exporting and
marketing.’ He said the government should end hassles in the exporting process and
seek international markets by mobilizing diplomatic missions abroad.
According to data, about
8.5 million kg tea is consumed in a year in the country whereas nearly 70 millions kg is
produced per year in Nepal.
Expressing their views in
the programme, tea producers said the amount of production will increase if the government
ensures the market.
Former state Minster and chairman of the
cooperative board, Deepak Prakash Baskota and the president of Federation of Nepalese
Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Pradeep Kumar Shrestha urged the government to
support tea industry.
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