Ambassador of Israel visits model farm in Dhading

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Feb. 18: Ambassador of Israel to Nepal Shmulik A. Bass, along with the officials from the Ministry of Finance and Sana Kisan Bikas Laghubitta Bittiyasanstha (SKBBL), visited the agricultural farm of Youddha Prasad Neupane, a prominent Israel returnee student and agripreneur in Jeevanpur, Dhading on Sunday. 

The visit offered firsthand insights into Neupane's journey, challenges and best practices in agribusiness enterprise using the Israeli Agro-technologies.

Neupane is an alumnus of the Learn and Earn Program, 2013-2014 batch of Arava International Center for Agriculture Training (AICAT), Israel, according to a press statement of the Embassy of Israel in Kathmandu. 

He has significantly expanded his farm after returning to Nepal from Israel and has successfully applied Israeli Agricultural technologies- including drip irrigation with automation, fertigation systems, mulching techniques and high-tech nursery. 

Notably, he invests only 20 per cent of his income in Israeli technology while achieving remarkable results. 

Farmers from neighbouring areas are learning from his techniques, and he continues to inspire the local agricultural community. 

This visit underscored the strong agricultural cooperation between Nepal and Israel and highlighted the success of Learn and Earn Programmes in empowering Nepali farmers with innovative and modern farming techniques. 

More than 4,000 students from farming families, associated with SKBBL and other institutions, have been trained in Israel under the Learn and Earn Programme in modern agriculture since 2001.

Neupane was also declared the 2nd Krishi Tara winner and was awarded a cheque of Rs. 500,000 along with the winner's certificate.