Commercial farming of cauliflower in Siraha

Siraha, Nov. 23 (RSS): Local farmers of Siraha Phulkapatti VDC are showing greater interest in expanding the cultivation of cauliflower on a commercial basis.

They have been attracted towards the cultivation of cauliflower after the district Agriculture Development Office, Siraha declared Ward Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the VDC a pocket area for this purpose as per HMG's 20 year Agriculture Perspective Plan (APP).

Last year, farmers of these wards were able to produce 2,032 metric tones of cauliflower on about 150 hectares of land in the district as a result of training provided to the farmers, regular follow-up and the availability of hybrid seeds.

The farmers have been selling their produce in Dhangadhi, Sukhipur, Gol bazaar, Lahan and other weekly markets.

Because of the large cauliflower output in this locality and the local name for this vegetable being Phulkoki, the name of this VDC has come to be established as Phulkapatti.

About 1,400 households benefit from this calling, it is learnt.

The farmers have been calling for additional cooperation from His Majesty's Government in order to further boost the cauliflower cultivation in this VDC.

Meanwhile in Dhanagadhi, Kailali district produced 2,025,200 quintals of paddy this year, nearly 18,800 quintal less than that of last year.

The area brought under paddy cultivation this year and last year remained unchanged at 85,500 bighas.

The drop in the paddy production this year was due to rains during the harvesting season in some areas, according to the District Agriculture Development Office.

Paddy harvest was better this year at Joshipur, Rajipur, Olanip, Munuwa and Manikapur, according to a survey conducted by the office.

Quality control units in food industries demanded

Dhanagadhi, Nov. 23 (RSS): Timely changes should be made in the existing Food Act as it is ineffective in controlling food adulteration.

This suggestion was given by the participants of a programme of interaction on "Ways of Controlling Food Adulteration" held here by the Far Western Regional Food Laboratory recently.

The participants also stressed the need to authorise the regional food labs to take quality control measures efficiently.

Industries should set up their own labs, while municipalities should form quality control units, they further suggested, adding that adulterated food items should be classified on the basis of the adulteration rate and the regional food lab should be authorised to award punishment to the guilty accordingly.

Chief of the regional Food Lab Vijaya Khanal presented a working paper on "Food Quality Control Programme and its Implementation," which was commented upon by the chief of the regional Food Lab, Pokhara, Vinaya Prasad Shrestha.

Likewise, district attorney Rajendra Subedi commented on a working entitled "Legal Problems in the Implementation of the Food Act" presented by assistant district attorney Rajeswar Aryal.

Chief district officer Narendra Raj Poudyal of Kailali, Mayor Khem Raj Pandey of Dhanagadhi, Director of the Far Western Regional Food Lab Dr Bhimsen K.C., District Agricultural Development Office chief Ram Sundar Lal Karn, administrative officer Yograj Pandey, Kailali Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairman Uttam Bahadur Kathayat and Hemanta Raj Parajuli also expressed their views at the programme.

Meanwhile in Mahendranagar, kerosene dealers here have stopped taking kerosene from the Nepal Oil Corporation for fear of decreasing the rate once the rate of kerosene was reduced unexpectedly.

The dealers have stopped taing kerosene from noc because of fear of repitition of the same event after the sudden reduction of the kerosene price to Rs. 22 from the previous price of Rs. 26, last Friday.

A Kerosene dealer says they are not buying kerosene because there are rumours that discussions are being held in high level on maintaining the price of kerosene at Rs. 20 by removing the coupon system.

The consumers are now in serious troubles because of lack of kerosene and the administration is also indifferent on this issue.

Nepalese carpet industry promotion discussed

Kathmandu, Nov. 23 (RSS): The Central Carpet Industries Association held discussions with Minister of Trade Negotiations of New Zealand Jim Sutton on promotion of Nepalese carpet industries and import of raw wool from New Zealand here recently.

Ambassador of New Zealand A.G. Simcock noted that scholarships have been provided to Nepalese students for technical and vocational education in New Zealand.

Association president A.G. Sherpa also spoke on the occasion.

In another dispatch received from Butwal, RSS reports that Rupandehi Chamber of Industry is to organise a national industrial exhibition in Butwal from Dec. 20 to 30. As informed at a press conference here on Tuesday, the objectives of the exhibition are to forge mutual coordination among national industries, strengthen the relationship between manufacturers and consumers and contribute to industrial development and promotion of market.

About 150 stalls will display and sell Nepalese industrial products during the exhibition, which is expected to attract some 200,000 visitors.

Meanwhile in Mahendranagar, separate delegations of the Kanchanpur Construction Entrepreneurs Association and the District Sports Development Committee met with Minister of state for Education and and Sports Dilendra Prasad Badu and apprised him of the problems of the concerned sectors.

The delegation led by the president of the Kanchanpur Construction Entrepreneurs Association Dharmananda Bhatta apprised the problems of construction entrepreseurship where as the delegation led by president of the district sports development committee Khageswor Bohara apprised him about sports and the convered hall of Mahendranagar and requested for the resolution of the problems.

Minister of State Badu assured them of resolving the problems as far as possible.