Tamghas. Gulmi: Satyawati Rural Municipality of Gulmi has brought into operation an agricultural ambulance. Chief of agriculture section of the municipality, Upkar Bhandari, said that the ambulance has been brought into operation with the objective of marketing the agricultural products produced here.
According to him, the ambulance was purchased at a total cost of Rs 3.4 million, including Rs 1.9 million from the federal government and Rs 1.5 million from the municipality. Sub-committees have been formed in all wards for the operation of ambulances and ‘Thaple Satyawati Agricultural Market’ has been formed at the municipality level. Similarly, collection centers have been set up in all the localities.
According to Bhandari, the ambulance, which has a capacity to carry vegetables up to 15 quintals, has the capacity to maintain temperatures up to minus 15 degrees celsius and plus 25 degrees and sustain any vegetable for five days. The ambulance will be able to export not only vegetables but also meat and milk.
At present, the farmers themselves operate ambulances, so that the subsidy based on profit and production is also with the farmers. The agricultural produce collected in all the wards is taken to the market of Bootball, while the fare from Satyawati to there has been fixed from Rs 3 to Rs 6 per kg.
Meena Dhakal, a local, said that the farmers have benefited from the facilitation of ambulances by the municipality. “Now it has become easier to sell vegetables and milk. With direct contact between farmers and consumers, the middlemen have also come to an end,” he said.
Maniram Pandey, another farmer, said that the marketing of agricultural products produced now has been ensured. According to him, 900 farmers are associated with 60 groups in Satyawati Rural Municipality. About 100 people have cultivated vegetables alone. Vegetables, milk and meat products produced by 1,000 farmers in the municipality reach the local market as well as bootball.
According to the municipality data, around Rs 100 million is imported annually from vegetables, fruits, fish, meat, milk and eggs. Narayan Khanal, chief of the livestock section, said Satyawati has been selling agricultural products produced in the municipality at shutter number 28 of Butbal Haat Bazaar since last year.
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