Kathmandu, September 25 : Girija Prasad Koirala Foundation and Institute of Rubber and Jatropha Research-Nepal, USA, have signed an agreement for commercial rubber farming and research.
Director at Science and Technology Department of the Foundation, Dr Tara Prasad Banjade, and Executive Director of the Institute, Tilak Bhandari, yesterday signed the deal in presence of Foundation Chair Sujata Koirala.
The two organizations will now start collaborating for cultivating the rubber on hundreds of hectares of land within five years. Such collaboration is also aimed at involving the youths in the research of rubber farming, according to the Foundation.
If the country becomes self- dependent on rubber production, it will help save the large amount of money being spent to import the rubber-related products (like tyre and tube) and raw materials. Nepal is estimated to spend Rs 11 billion per year for such import..
On the occasion, Foundation Chair Koirala said that the agreement might well help create employment for thousands of youths in the country at a time when it is facing a huge economic crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Similarly, Executive Director of Institute, Bhandari, shared that raw materials could be provided to around 500 rubber industries inside the country in a permanent manner by initiating further research of rubber farming and producing rubber in a commercial way in the country. Gorakhkali Rubber Industry Ltd was established in 2049 BS at the direction of former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and a nine-member rubber development committee representing rubber farmers was also formed.
