Karnali is more food secure among seven provinces, argues Ministry official

Karnali, April 7: Secretary of the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives of Karnali Province, Sanjiv Kumar Karna, has said that Karnali is food secure among the seven provinces.

Addressing the 'Orientation Programme on Food Hygiene and Quality for Officials and Staff Involved in Market Monitoring and Inspection at Provincial and Local Levels' held in Birendranagar on Monday by the Food Technology and Quality Control Office, Surkhet, Secretary Karna stated that the soil of Karnali and the food crops produced here are safer compared to other provinces.

"Our food must be clean and of good quality. The necessary nutrients for the body are found in the crops produced here. Karnali Province has launched a campaign to discourage chemical use and focus on organic production," he said.

He stressed that awareness programmes at the citizen level should be conducted on the use of clean and quality food through coordination and cooperation with stakeholders concerned about food hygiene and quality.

Acting Chief of the Food Technology and Quality Control Office Surkhet, Santosh Dahal, stated that there must be safe production, sensitive consumers and responsible administration to obtain clean and quality food. 

He said that due to food-borne diseases, the risk to human life is increasing, so clean and quality food is necessary. Participants of the programme suggested that because of the ultra-modern lifestyle, humans are increasingly affected by both communicable and non-communicable diseases, so food from the farm to the plate should be clean and safe.

The participants emphasised that due to flaws and misconceptions in citizens' thinking, taste and vision, it is necessary to conduct awareness programmes about food consumption to address them. (RSS)