Govt's full support to make poultry industry self-reliant: PM

Kathmandu, Jan 21: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has said the government was committed to ensuring access to all sources of nutrition including protein by reducing the poverty rate.     

At a prize distribution to the winners of the 'Right to Protein Run' half marathon' organised today, Prime Minister Dahal mentioned that general people are still deprived of nutrition sources in Nepal despite the government's relentless efforts.     

People face various health challenges due to malnutrition like being underweight and dwarfism, he added.     

PM Dahal shared, "According to the statistics, 32 per cent of children below five years are too short for their age in 2019. We all are well-known of the fact that we have been facing such challenges of the lack of availability of nutrition as per our age. Community living below the poverty line is mostly found facing the problem of dwarfism and malnutrition."     

Stating that the Government of Nepal was aware of the nutrition that children are supposed to get in the first 1,000 days of birth affecting the whole health of children, PM Dahal informed about various programmes to enhance the health of pregnant women and their newborns.     

PM Prachanda also thanked poultry industrialists and farmers for helping in making the country become self-reliant on meat and for contributing to the supply of proteins through the production of eggs and meat. Saying the government was aware of problems of animal diseases including bird flu, the price of raw materials and medicines for poultry industries that are becoming self-reliant, he on behalf of the government, pledged to further strengthen and make poultry industries self-reliant.     

PM Prachanda thanked the organisers for the successful conclusion of the half-marathon organised by the Nepal Veterinary Association, a solely scientific and professional organisation of Nepalese veterinarians with the aim of establishing a right to protein. The competition was attended by the Nepal Feed Industries Association and concerned authorities. (RSS)