February 4: Farmers of Chitwan district have expressed their dissent by throwing green vegetables on the road, reportedly for not getting appropriate price for their agro produce.
Saying the price of vegetables produced in the country has decreased due to cheap imported vegetables, the farmers launched the demonstration by throwing vegetables on the road.
The Farmers’ Struggle Committee launched the demonstration at Pulchowk of Narayangadh and threw vegetables—tomato, pumpkin, carrot, cauliflower and cabbage.
Coordinator of the struggle committee, Lekhnath Bhusal, said vegetables produced locally did not get appropriate market price due to the import of cheap vegetables from neighbouring India.
Commercial vegetable farming is being carried out in 1,500 hectares of land in the district. Saying Indian vegetables has led to decrease in the price of vegetables produced inside the country, Bhusal mentioned that their request with the federal, provincial and local-level governments to stop the import of vegetables from India was not addressed.
The district produces around 300 metric tonnes of vegetables daily. The vegetables produced in Chitwan are consumed in Chitwan, Kathmandu, Pokhara and Butwal.
A farmer Abindra Subedi said they were compelled to launch the agitation by throwing vegetables on road after the state turned a deaf ear towards their demands.
The farmers threw five tractors full of vegetables on the road in Pulchowk. -- RSS