Central Cooperative Market Operate at Chabahil

4 Dec., Kathmandu : The first ever Central Cooperative Market in Kathmandu has been brought into operation at Saraswatinagar of Chabahil from Friday.

The market is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation (MoLMCPA), government of Nepal and the UNDP which aims to help increase quality, quantity and consistency of the supply of fruits and vegetables production in the selected districts through various measures.

The Cooperative Market was brought into operation at the cost of Rs 12.5 million. Implemented since February, 2018, such markets have been set up in 18 local units of six districts such as Kavrepalanchowk, Chitwan, Lalitpur, Makawanpur, Nuwakot and Dhading. Such markets will facilitate the production and supply of fruits and vegetables through infrastructure development, training and support on farming technique, marketing and institutional capacity building among others.

Inaugurating the Market, Minister for MoLMCPA Padma Kumari Aryal pledged to provide due market price to the products. Such market would be extended to other places across the Kathmandu Valley, according to Minister Aryal. She underscored the need to merge the cooperatives that offer services for savings and provides loans. “Cooperatives should be engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry. Such market should be set up in various places to market the Cooperative’s produces,” opined the Minister.

Likewise, Secretary at the MoLMCPA Tek Narayan Pandey shared that plan was afoot to expand and implement the Cooperative Market Development Programme which will link above 14,400 households. Similarly, National Cooperative Federation President Minraj Kandel informed that out of 20 central cooperatives association, 13 were related to agriculture. He said that such project should be promoted to provide fair price for the farmers’ produces. In the newly inaugurated market, produces would be sold for retail and wholesale prices.