Agriculture and Livestock Development Minister Ram Nath Adhikari has said that despite challenges in the agricultural sector, the government has put forward various programs to make the country self-sufficient in food production.

In an interaction program on 'Agricultural Revolution, Prospects and Challenges in Nepal' organized by BP Chintan Foundation in Kathmandu on Monday, the minister said that the government is preparing to introduce an agricultural policy. He argued that Nepal is a country with full potential for economic development and its basis can be agriculture.

'Development and prosperity are possible only if production and productivity can be increased . Agriculture, tourism, energy are the sectors that have the potential of economic development of Nepal,' said the Minister Adhikari, 'Urbanization, depletion of resources, trade, climate change, diversification in the areas of income generation, migration, increasing use of technology are seen as new challenges for the agricultural sector . Despite these challenges, the government is trying to make the country self-sufficient in basic food items and to increase the employment sector by replacing imports for comparative advantage.'

Minister Adhikari said that banks and financial institutions do not trust farmers to do farming. Even if the farmer mortgages his own land, he always has to use someone else's hammer, spade and gravel because he does not get a loan. It is necessary to end it,' he said.

The minister also informed that the Ministry has taken initiative to bring the Agriculture Act. He said that he asked for suggestions about the Agriculture Act from the concerned parties and held discussions at various stages. He was committed to include the suggestions received in the draft of the law while advancing the bill . Informing that the discussion on the draft of the Agriculture Act is at the final stage, he said that it will be brought to the Parliament and passed and implemented.