Chief Minister of Lumbini Province Chetnarayan Acharya has said that it is necessary to use pulses such as millet and phapar for nutritious food and healthy lifestyle.
He said that everyone should pay attention to stop the use of pesticides and promote clean and nutritious food. Speaking at the food system dialogue program held in Lamhi on Monday with the main slogan 'Equitable, Uplifting and Sustainable Food System Oriented Nepal: Everyone's Access to Clean and Nutritious Food', Acharya said that the provincial government will adopt a policy based on the protection, promotion and use of Raithane crops.
'The government will create a policy to protect, produce and use Raithane crops,' he said, 'Nutrition promotion is not possible by efforts alone. It requires the participation of three levels of government, social organizations and the community.'
He said that he has made a special plan to reach people's doorsteps and take it to the school level as a campaign. Mentioning that crops such as corn, wheat, barley, papaar, millet have disappeared, he said that priority will be given to food and vegetable production without the use of pesticides.
Malnutrition is increasing in Lumbini province, problems such as maternal mortality, child mortality and child marriage are a matter of concern, he said, adding that the government is committed to reforms.
Provincial Planning Commission Vice Chairman Dilliraj Aryal presided over the program, Lumbini Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperatives Ministry Deputy Secretary Ghanshyam Chaudhary said that although the province is self-sufficient in food grains, fish, meat and milk, more improvements are needed in other areas.
According to Chaudhary, the condition of pudkopana in Lumbini is 25 percent, obesity is 16 percent, underweight is 23 percent and anemia is 49 percent among children under five years of age. 44 percent of women in the reproductive age group (15-49 years) have anemia.
Former Health Minister and Provincial Assembly member Bishnu Prasad Panthi said that the quantity of nutritious food should be ensured, saying that poisonous food and rotten food cause problems to human health.
