Bagmati Agriculture Minister Paudel inaugurates 8th Nepal Agritech International Expo in Chitwan

CHITWAN: Bagmati Province Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Madhusudan Paudel inaugurated the 8th Nepal Agritech International Expo at the Chitwan Expo Centre on Friday. 

Organised by Media Space Solutions and Futurex Trade Fairs and Events, the three-day expo showcases more than 100 national and international companies from Nepal, India, and China, and brings together farmers, agricultural entrepreneurs, investors, co-operatives, stakeholder agencies, and commercial enterprises from across the country.

Addressing the opening of the expo, Minister Paudel stated that Nepal must increase access to and utilisation of foreign agricultural technology to enhance commercial production. He urged farmers to adopt technologies displayed at the exhibition to move beyond subsistence farming and become export‑oriented. He said production should be increased by bringing foreign technologies into Nepal and by learning from such exhibitions.

The minister emphasised that the provincial government is prioritising programmes to attract youth to agriculture, reduce imports, discourage middlemen and provide subsidies for genuine farmers. He said work is underway to prioritise production‑based and interest subsidies, and that separate procedures are being created for youth‑targeted initiatives.

Paudel added that the government is working to ensure the timely availability of chemical fertilisers and to operate organic fertiliser factories. Stall exhibitors used the occasion to brief the minister on government policies and to raise concerns related to customs and taxation.

Srijal Bhattarai, managing director of Media Space Solutions, said visitors could obtain detailed information on poultry, fisheries, goat and cow‑buffalo farming, dairy business, agricultural tools and machinery, animal health and veterinary services, food technology and processing, pesticides, fertilisers, seeds, agricultural training and financial solutions.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development and the National Agriculture Modernisation Project are promoters of the expo. Supporting organisations include the National Dairy Development Board, Nepal Agriculture Co‑operative Central Federation, National Farmers Group Federation (NFGF), National Association of Rural Municipalities in Nepal, Nepal Poultry Confederation, Mushroom Producers’ Association‑Nepal and the Chitwan Association of Industries.

The expo will run until January 18.

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