March 22: Pokhara Metropolitan City (PMC) has distributed agriculture equipment to farmers at subsidized rate. The metropolis also informed the farmers about the use of modern equipment.    
Chief of Pokhara Agriculture Development Division Manohar Kadariya said that various equipment were distributed on 50 percent subsidy from the budget allocated in the current fiscal year (FY 2022/23).    
The metropolis provided 261 hand tractors, 62 combined mill, six thrashers, 108 grass cutters, 30 power sprays, six oil crusher machines and 29 other machineries to the framers.    
Acting on the demands of farmers of 25 wards, the Agriculture Division arranged and distributed the equipment.    
PMC Mayor Dhanraj Acharya shared that the metropolis distributed the equipment to the farmers at subsidized rate to increase production and reduce costs by using machines in the agriculture sector. He stressed the need for maximizing the use of machines. The mayor added that the agriculture sector needs commercialization and marketing.

“It would help us save our time and costs,” said Jyoti Gurung, a farmer of Pokhara metropolis-33, who received hand tractor on subsidy. -- RSS