Sindhuli. As of now, the district was not connected by road network. The farmers had already started producing 10,000 tonnes of junar. At that time, the juicy fruit rotted in the plant because the junar garden could not be connected to the market.
Neither the garden’s junnar reached the market, nor did the farmers get the price for their hard work. In the absence of roads, it would not have been possible to transport junar. Farmers were sweating in the junar garden spread in the Mahabharata region. Thousands of tons of fruits were harvested every year, but they could not find a market.
Farmers were encouraged by the production of junar fruits, but the market was disappointed. In search of a market, the farmers used to carry junnar in doko to Madibazar. Even after spending a day in Madibazar, it sold a little, the rest of it was rotten. There was a shortage of cold storage.
In 2063 BS, the construction of junar cold storage building was started at Kamalamai-4, Dobhantar of Sindhuli. Deepak Koirala, president of Junar Central Cooperative Association, said that the cold storage was brought into operation in 2067 BS after completing the necessary procedures.
Koirala, who is also a member of the Junar Industry Operations Working Committee, said, “We had to face a loss of Rs 2.5 million while operating the cold store for two years. For the first time, potatoes were brought to the cold storage from junar and anants produced in the district. He, however, recalled that he had to suffer losses due to lack of proper technical management.
In 2069 B.S., the Government of Nepal and the Government of China signed an agreement to purchase orange fruits of Nepal. In 2012, after an agreement was signed between the Chinese government’s Quality Supervision Inspection and The General Administration on Quarantine and the Department of Agriculture of the Government of Nepal for the export of orange fruits from Nepal to China, preparations were made to keep the junar produced in the district in the cold storage and send it by packing.
For this purpose, collaboration was made with Sindhuli Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry established with the objective of protecting the professional rights of entrepreneurs and traders involved in the industry and commerce sector of Nepal. Junar Industrial Building was constructed in ‘Partnership’.
It took three years to install machines and tools required for the operation of the industry and to make necessary arrangements. When the industry could be brought into operation, the industry signed an agreement with the junar farmers to buy junar at the rate of Rs 25 per kg. “An agreement was reached with the farmers to procure 2,000 tonnes of junar. The industry received only 200 tonnes. ’
There was a problem of disease pest in Junar. The fruit production of junar decreased. By then, the BP Highway had come into operation. With the operation of the highway, the junar produced had started getting market. The industry stopped coming in.
On the other hand, junar could not be exported due to insect infection. Although the government has made such an agreement to send Junar of Sindhuli to China, it has not been able to send it so far. According to the agreement, the orange orchard should be disease-free. According to the farmers, the garden itself cannot be disease-free. Fruits produced can be produced free of insects and enemies. But the trees in the garden cannot be free from enemies.
Koirala, who is also a junar farmer, said, “The agreement seems to have been signed in a hurry.” If the agreement was made, it would have been easily exported if it had been said that there should be disease-free fruit. It is difficult to get the garden disease free from pests. ’
According to Koirala, president of Junar Central Cooperative Association, more than 2,000 farmers have been displaced from junar cultivation due to pests. Earlier, 3,100 farmers were involved in junar cultivation. According to him, the production of junar has come down from 10,000 tonnes to 3,000 tonnes. He said that in the current situation, junar cultivation has stopped in places except Baseshwor, Nakajoli, Majakubhinde of Tinkanya and Dudhemalinge areas.
At the same time, it is difficult to bring the junar industry into operation due to china not taking junar produced in the district, low junar production, high price and lack of necessary raw materials, he said. Due to the negligence of the concerned authorities, the Junar Cold Storage, constructed with the financial assistance of the Japanese Embassy, and the Junar Industry built under the 3PP model of the Government of Nepal, have been closed for a decade.
A total of Rs 13 million has been spent on the building that has been brought into operation targeting junar storage. Out of this cost, the japanese embassy’s grant of Rs 6 million and the remaining amount was collected from the then givis, VDC and junar producing farmers.
On the other hand, the condition of the junar industry started by Sindhuligadhi Junar and Fruit Processing Company at a total cost of Rs 60 million to raise investment from the government, industrialists and farmers under the 3PP model of the Government of Nepal is pathetic.
Under the ‘One Village, One Product’ project of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry(FNCCI), the construction work was halted after the Federation pulled out of the construction of the industry in five kattha area. The construction of the project and industry started when Suruj Baidya was in the federation.
Although the junar industry has been brought into operation with great hope and potential in the district, it is said that after the change of leadership in the Federation, others did not pay attention to it. At present, junar industry is led by Suraj Baidya, former president of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry and businessman. Efforts are being made to bring the industry back into operation. Industry leader Baidya could not be reached for comment.
Locals are worried that the only industry in the district has not been brought into operation even after being closed for a long time. President of Sindhuli Chamber of Commerce and Industry Arjun Kumar Kshestha stressed the need to bring junar industry into operation to develop the district as an industrial hub.
He said, “Junar industry was established as the first industry in Sindhuli, but it has been closed for a long time. We understand that the reason for this is nothing but the lack of accounting between the leaders. He urged the local government, state government and federal government to cooperate in bringing the industry into operation which has been closed for a long time. The Sindhuli Chamber of Commerce and Industry is ready to play the necessary coordinating role, he added.
Minister for Industry, Commerce, Land and Administration of Bagmati Province, Suku maya Tamang, said that the province government was ready to provide necessary support to bring the junar industry back into operation. “What is the reason behind the closure of the industry? Now the local government or the private sector, who will run the industry, submit the necessary documents with a mature proposal, the state government will manage the required budget,” he said.
Lack of coordination at the leadership level, weakness in technical and administrative management and lack of long-term planning are the main reasons for the non-operation of industries. However, in the current situation, it is necessary to set the direction of bringing the industry back into operation through a common collaboration, clear responsibility determination and transparent system of all the stakeholders. If this industry can be revived, it will provide good market to the produce of the local farmers and contribute to the overall economic and industrial prosperity of the district.
प्रतिक्रिया दिनुहोस्