Paanchkhal: An agricultural produce collection and market center has been established in Paanchkhal Municipality to collect pesticide-free vegetables. The center aims to gather vegetables grown using organic pesticides instead of chemical ones.
According to National News Agency Nepal, an organization called Lovegreen Nepal and Paanchkhal Municipality have collaborated to set up the center with an investment of Rs. 2.5 million and Rs. 900,000, respectively. Paanchkhal Mayor Mahesh Kharel stated that the center’s primary objective is to collect vegetables produced using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) technology. There is a target to supply the agricultural produce collected at the center to the capital, Kathmandu, after sorting, packaging, and branding.
The center’s inauguration was a collaborative effort, with Mayor Kharel, Head of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Nepal, Matsuzaki Mizuki, and Lovegreen Nepal President Amira Dali officiating the event on Saturday. The municipality is actively promoting organic farming through the ‘Pesticide-Free Panchkhal’ campaign. This initiative has been supported for the past four years by the Environment-Friendly Integrated Sustainable Agriculture Development Project, jointly run by the Municipal Office and Lovegreen Nepal.