Farmers get modern fodder-cutters

By Siraj Khan,Nepalgunj, May 24: Modern fodder-cutting machines have been distributed to the farmers of Baijanath Rural Municipality in Banke district at a 70 per cent subsidy to make livestock farming easier.

According to Chairperson of Baijanath, Prakash Bahadur Shahi, 95 farmers actively engaged in livestock farming have received modern agricultural mechanisation fodder-cutting machines under a 70 per cent subsidy scheme.

He said the machines were distributed under the ‘Farmers with the Rural Municipality Chairperson Programme’ to help farmers work more efficiently and conveniently. While handing over the machines, Shahi said that priority had been given to distributing agricultural mechanisation equipment based on farmers’ needs.

The rural municipality informed that, since 2022, it has continuously worked to connect farmers with agricultural mechanisation and technology under the programme, which now has entered its fourth consecutive year.

Vice-Chairperson Nirmala Rokaya said that the mechanisation support provided to farmers at a subsidised price had opened pathways for them to become self-reliant.

Fariduddin Halwai, Executive Member and Coordinator of the Economic Development Committee of Baijanath, said the local body had been allocating millions of rupees annually to uplift the agricultural sector.

According to Balkrishna Chaudhary, Chief of the Livestock Branch of the rural municipality, a public notice had been issued inviting applications from farmers before the subsidised machines were distributed under the programme. Of the 173 applications received, 95 farmers were selected based on various criteria, he informed. 

Local farmer Dinesh Chaudhary said that receiving an electric fodder-cutting machine at a 70 per cent subsidy from the rural municipality would greatly ease livestock farming. The municipality has been implementing various subsidy programmes specifically aimed at supporting farmers.

Baijanath launched the programme in the fiscal year 2022/23. Since then, it has been allocating substantial budgets annually to implement subsidy schemes ranging from 70 to 100 per cent for farmers.