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Residents of Jhanjhe village in Gurans Rural Municipality-8, Dailekh, have been engaged in commercial vegetable farming, which sustains their annual income and daily livelihood. However, the farmers complain that they have yet to receive any services or facilities from the government. Despite exporting vegetables worth Rs 6m annually, including potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes, chilies, and beans, they have not received improved seeds, training, or tools from NGOs either.

“Potato seeds have remained the same for 15 years,” said Tarakeshar Wali, a local farmer. “If the government had supported us, we could have increased production even more.”

Farmers have formed groups within the village and have requested grants, advanced seeds, and other resources from various agencies. However, they report receiving no subsidies or assistance so far. “We’ve heard the government provides subsidies to farmers, but we've received nothing,” said local farmer Man Kumari Khadka. “Neither advanced seeds nor medicine, and no one has trained us.”

The lack of government support for vegetable cultivation has frustrated the farmers. They believe that subsidies, advanced seeds, fertilizers, medicines, training, and agricultural tools could significantly boost their productivity. Farmers also criticize the local government and ward officials for failing to provide agricultural technology or tools and urge the construction of storage facilities to preserve potato seeds.

Transportation challenges

Farmers face significant challenges in transporting their produce to market due to the lack of road access. They are forced to carry their vegetables, which leads to losses as produce spoils before reaching buyers. Local farmer Krishna Khatri shared, “This year, I sold 20 quintals of potatoes and produced 15 quintals of bananas and cauliflower. However, we struggle to sell vegetables since we have to carry them to the market.”

Khatri added that vegetables rot because of the lack of roads, and multiple requests for road improvements have gone unanswered. “We’ve submitted four requests to the ward office, but no attention has been paid,” he said. Similarly, local farmer Pavitra Khadka expressed frustration, asking, “Where is the government for the farmers? We have grown vegetables with our own efforts, but we haven’t received any subsidies or assistance. No one has heard our concerns.”

Exporting Rs 6m worth of vegetables

Despite the lack of government support, the farmers continue to export vegetables worth Rs 6m annually. Potatoes alone account for Rs 2m of this, while cauliflower brings in Rs 1.5m. Tomatoes, chilies, and cucumbers generate Rs 500,000.

“This year, we exported 400 quintals of potatoes, and cabbage and cauliflower were sold in similar amounts,” said local farmer Gagan Bahadur Khatri. “If we had road access, our production could increase further. The village earns Rs 6m annually from vegetable sales, and with government support—such as roads, advanced seeds, fertilizers, marketing, training, and agricultural tools—we could increase both production and income.”

The farmers export their vegetables to markets in Surkhet and Dailekh, and with better infrastructure and support, they believe they could expand their farming efforts even further.

From January to early October 2024, a total of 105,698 foreign tourists visited Mustang district. Among these, 90,081 were from SAARC countries, while 15,617 were from other countries, according to the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) Checkpost in Jomsom.

During this period, 82.66 percent of the foreign tourists were from SAARC countries, and 17.33 percent were from other countries. The highest number of foreign tourists arrived in Mustang in May, with 29,762 visitors, while the lowest was in January, with 2,126 tourists.

According to ACAP, very few foreign tourists entered Mustang from late September to the first week of October compared to last year. Pramod Raj Regmi, head of the ACAP office in Jomsom, noted that the decline in tourists was due to incessant rains, floods, landslides, and river erosion in various parts of the country, which blocked roadways. Additionally, out of the total tourists who visited Mustang, 8,397 entered from Besisahar in Lamjung to Manang along the Round Annapurna Cycle Path. Regmi added that 7.94 percent of the total number of tourists who entered Mustang did so via the Annapurna Trail.

Of the tourists who visited the Annapurna Trail via Manang, 97.07 percent were from other countries, while 2.92 percent were from SAARC countries. The highest number of foreign tourists entered Mustang in May, with 1,818, and the lowest in January, with 186. From January to December 2023, a total of 121,352 foreign tourists visited Mustang district, comprising 98,253 from SAARC countries and 23,099 from other countries. Additionally, 10,424 people entered Mustang via Manang, and 1,547 foreign tourists visited Upper Mustang.

In 2023, 76.49 percent of visitors were from SAARC countries, and 23.51 percent were from other countries. According to Regmi, most tourists entering Mustang were Indian, as many Indian pilgrims are interested in visiting the famous religious site Muktinath.

Rights group Amnesty International on Monday published a report that accused the Saudi Arabian franchise of French supermarket giant Carrefour of exploiting migrant workers. Carrefour told AFP that an internal probe had not confirmed most allegations but was planning on conducting an external review.

Amnesty said it found migrant workers for Carrefour’s Saudi Arabian franchisee were deceived by recruitment agents, forced to work excessive hours, denied days off, cheated of their earnings and made to live in squalid accommodations. 

“Workers thought they were opening the door to a better life but instead many were subjected to appalling exploitation and abuse,” said Marta Schaaf, who heads Amnesty International's corporate accountability program. “Carrefour’s inaction meant it failed to prevent this suffering, which for some contracted workers likely amounts to forced labor including human trafficking,” she added.

Amnesty based its report on interviews with 17 people recruited from India, Nepal and Pakistan to work in Carrefour stores in Saudi Arabia, which have been operated by the French retailer’s Middle East franchisee Majid Al Futtaim (MAF).

Amnesty said Carrefour has responsibility to ensure labor abuses do not occur throughout its operations, including in franchises, and called on it and MAF to remedy the situation and “ensure that workers in their operations are never harmed again.”

Carrefour said that it had discussions with Amnesty earlier this year on labor conditions in Saudi Arabia and that it had asked MAF to investigate.

“These preliminary investigations did not confirm the elements signaled by Amnesty’s alert but did reveal other problems: housing, training and accounting of work hours for which corrective actions were taken,” Carrefour told AFP on Friday.

It added that it had appointed an outside expert to review the human rights situation and the assessment methodology was being determined. Saudi Arabia’s human resources ministry said the government had a zero-tolerance policy for worker abuse.

“Any form of labor abuse or exploitation is unacceptable, and allegations of this nature are comprehensively investigated by the relevant authorities,” the ministry said in a written statement in response to questions from AFP. The ministry also said it works closely with the governments of migrant workers’ home countries to combat abusive recruitment practices.

The statement did not specifically address Amnesty’s allegations against Carrefour. Dubai-based MAF manages nearly 500 Carrefour stores in 30 countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, with Saudi Arabia its second largest market behind the United Arab Emirates. The company earned a net profit of around $735m last year on revenues of $9.4bn.

AFP

A Nepali social activist Urmila Chaudhary has been honored with the 'Global Anti Racism Championship Award' in the USA.

US Foreign Secretary Antony Blinken conferred the Award on Chaudhary amidst a programme on Monday.

Chaudhary is a former kamalari, a bonded labor. The bonded labor since the age of six, she was rescued at 17 and provided schooling.

Currently, she is championing the voice of the voiceless after studying law. She is involved in social service for women empowerment through 30 cooperative groups.

The State Department of the USA informed that Chaudhary was feted with the Award for her contribution to the marginalized and minority community, thereby helping to end exploitation. She played a brave leading role for human rights protection.

The programme organized by the State Department was attended by Nepal's Charge D'affaires to USA, Kumar Raj Kharel.

Last year, the Award was handed over to Saraswati Nepali.

Banks have seen a healthy growth in margin loan disbursements after the central bank removed lending limits for institutional investors.

According to the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), margin loans have gone up by 12.5 percent, or nearly Rs 8.79bn, over the first two months of the fiscal year 2024-25. With this, the margin lending portfolio of commercial banks reached Rs 79.14bn in mid-September, compared to Rs 70.34bn in mid-July.

Nepal SBI Bank saw its margin lending portfolio increase by a whopping 115.6 percent to Rs 434.6m in mid-September, compared to Rs 201.5m in mid-July. Margin loans of Machhapuchchhre Bank Ltd logged a growth of 81.61 percent to Rs 848.2m, followed by Nepal Investment Mega Bank, which saw a 57.54 percent growth in its margin loans to Rs 2.92bn.

Data show the margin lending portfolio of Kumari Bank Ltd expanded by 50.85 percent to Rs 6.6bn, while NMB Bank recorded a 49.2 percent growth to Rs 1.46bn.

Four commercial banks saw single-digit growth in margin loan disbursements, with Everest Bank seeing the lowest growth of 0.83 percent during the two-month period. Citizens Bank, Sanima Bank, and Nepal Bank expanded their margin lending portfolios by 9.74 percent, 9.2 percent, and 7.64 percent, respectively.

The growth in margin loan disbursements coincided with a bull run in the stock market. The benchmark Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) index, which was at 2,095.25 points in mid-July, closed at 2,637.79 points on Sept 15. The benchmark index peaked at 3,000.81 points on August 15 with total turnover of Rs 29.3bn.

Six commercial banks saw their margin lending portfolios shrink during the period. NIC Asia Bank experienced the highest decline of 18.97 percent, with its portfolio falling to Rs 3.21bn. Himalayan Bank's portfolio declined by 8.85 percent to Rs 1.83bn, while Nabil Bank saw a 7.87 percent reduction to Rs 10.52bn.

Rastriya Banijya Bank, Prabhu Bank and Agricultural Development Bank saw their margin lending portfolios shrink by 4.19 percent, 2.81 percent and 0.61 percent, respectively.

Falling interest rates have also contributed to the growth in margin lending. Interest rates on margin loans have dropped to single digits for the first time in three years. The average interest rate on margin loans in the second month of the current fiscal year (mid-Aug to mid-Sept) was 9.9 percent, down from its peak of 14.58 percent.

Interest rates have been falling consistently since the beginning of the fiscal year 2023-24.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 300 per tola in the domestic market on Tuesday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 165, 900 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 165, 600 per tola on Monday.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 2,100 per tola today.

The government has begun the process of privatizing eight more public enterprises, with the Privatization Committee recommending their classification to the Council of Ministers. The decision was made at a committee meeting held on Monday under Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel.

The committee proposed the classification of closed, sick and poorly-performing institutions, recommending privatization of Janakpur Cigarette Factory, Nepal Metal Company, Hetanda Textile Industry, Biratnagar Jute Mill, Butwal Spinning Mills, Gorakhkali Rubber Industry, Udayapur Cement Factory and Hetauda Cement Factory. Once the Council of Ministers classifies these PEs, a study committee comprising experts will evaluate the assets and liabilities of each entity. 

Based on their assessment, the pattern and process of privatization will be identified and recommendations forwarded to the government for its go-ahead. The privatization of PEs, which began in the 1990’s in Nepal, has come under considerable criticism, with some critics describing it as a major step toward the country’s deindustrialization that has forced Nepali youths to go abroad for jobs.

Nepal completed a clean sweep of the three-match T20I series against the United States by winning the third and final match by eight wickets on Monday morning. Chasing a target of 157 in Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas, Nepal secured the victory in 18.4 overs, losing only two wickets. In the series opener, Nepal won by 17 runs, followed by a thrilling super over victory in the second match. Aasif Sheikh’s half-century (50) set the foundation for Nepal’s chase in the final match, while Kushal Malla (44*) and Kushal Bhurtel (40*) saw the team home. The US’ Juanoy Drysdale and Jasdeep Singh claimed one wicket each.

Earlier, the US posted 156/5, led by Saiteja Mukkamalla’s 68 and Milind Kumar’s 43. Nepal’s Sompal Kami starred with the ball, taking three wickets, and was named Player of the Series after securing five wickets across the three matches.