Construction of cold store intensified

DAMAULI, October 19: Construction of a cold store has been intensified at Sangam Tole of Shuklagandaki Municipality-8 in Tanahu. The construction had begun last April with the conditional grant by federal government and municipality budget.

The municipality has termed it a pride project, said ward chair Krishna Prasad Regmi, adding that it would be easy for the locals to store agricultural products and keep fresh for sale. The federal government had provided Rs 10 million in grant while the municipality managed Rs 20 million for the construction of the cold store.

The undertaking was begun after bidding. The store is being constructed at a public land protected by the local Sirjansheel Women Society of Lalima. The need of cold store was acute after the farmers were forced to sell agricultural products at meagre price or it decayed. "With this, farmers began commercial potato farming.

They will now sell the potato at reasonable cost," Regmi added. Preparations are on to complete infrastructure so that the products as potato and gingers would be stored from this very fiscal year. Ward Office itself has been assisting to transport the local produce to the store. For the transportation of potato alone, the ward has allocated Rs 200 thousand budget this year.

Similarly, the farmers have been distributed potato seeds. Even the 'one ward one product' programme was in place to encourage farming. Ward No 8 has been prioritized as pocket area for potato production. The programme has been further assisted by the federal government.

Farmer Manju Shrestha informed that they were happy to see the construction of cold store. "Now, we don't need to transport agro product to Pokhara for sale," she shared the relief.