Chitwan, June 29: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has said that climate-friendly technologies will be used in paddy cultivation to increase production and productivity.     

Addressing a program organized here today on the occasion of the 21st National Paddy Day, Prime Minister Prachanda said that the government has given priority to research and development and promoting climate-friendly technology. "Expansion of climate-friendly technology is the priority of the government to reduce the negative effects of climate change on crops including paddy ", he said.     

Stating that climate change has recently emerged as a major challenge in the agriculture sector, he said adopting climate-friendly technology will help to increase production and thereby replace the import of rice.     

"Paddy is a strategic crop of the country", the Prime Minister said, "To reduce dependence and trade imbalance and increase rice production the current government has given priority to the availability of chemical fertilizers and quality seeds, technology expansion, research and development and the enforcement of minimum support price."     

Furthermore, food self-sufficiency and long-term food and nutrition security will be maintained by increasing the production and availability of major food crops, improving the distribution system and improving food habits.     

He also expressed the belief that the 21st National Paddy Day 2081, being celebrated with the slogan 'climate-friendly agriculture, increase in paddy production' would inspire all concerned to contribute to the increasing production and productivity of paddy crops in the country.     

Also speaking at the program, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Jwala Kumari Sah said that the ministry is working on mechanization, modernization and commercialization of the agriculture sector with a focus on production, productivity and marketing.     

"The government is going to make available a sufficient amount of fertilizer required for planting paddy," she said.     

Chief Minister of Bagmati Province Shalikram Jamkattel said that Chitwan will be developed as a pocket area for seed production and the work has progressed to make the Province self-sufficient in the next five years.     

The event was jointly organized by the Prime Minister Agriculture Modernization Project, Department of Agriculture, Nepal Agricultural Research Council, Agricultural Development Office Chitwan and Bachhauli Multi-Purpose Farmers' Group in Ratnagar.