Trade with China: Nepal looking forward to export pork meat to China

Kathmandu, Oct 11: The Pig Industrial Park established in Pokhara targets to export pork meat to neighboring China. The park was established with 70 percent investment from the government and 30 percent from the farmers considering the possibility of exporting pork meat.

Currently, the park has over 10,000 pigs and it also includes a modern slaughterhouse to produce quality pork meat, according to the chairperson of the Pig Breeder Agriculture Cooperatives Limited Krishna Bahadur Gurung. Gurung is a former Member of Parliament.

Meanwhile, the government of China has already announced support for the expansion of research and technology in the agriculture sector of Nepal. An agreement has been reached to run potato, green fodder, poultry, mushroom, vegetables and trout fish production plants in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Sindhupalchowk districts. The project that began on 19 December 2018 will run until 18 December 2021.

The government of China has announced the support of 27 million Yuan for the project. As part of the project, 60 farmers and technicians will be taken to China for training while another 240 farmers will be trained in Nepal itself, according to Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Chakrapani Khanal.

The support has been heartily welcomed by the 13,000 pig farmers in Nepal, who believe that skilled technical human resources would help produce quality pork meat and thereby open the door for export, said pig entrepreneurs association chair Umesh Kumar Rai. China is both the largest producer and consumer of pork meat, hence the possibility for export from Nepal.

Nepal, however, is still not self-reliant in pork meat production. However, the one million hectares of arable land that is barren could be used for pork breeding. This could also help create employment and generate income for the country.