The Letter of Agreement (LOA) was signed by Director of Department of Science and Technology, GPKF, Dr. Tara P Banjade and Executive Director of IRJR-N Tilak Bhandari in the presence of Former Deputy Prime Minister and Chairperson of Girija Prasad Koirala Foundation Hon. Sujata Koirala.
According to different feasibility studies and pilot projects conducted by Gorakhkali Rubber Udhyog Ltd. and Sudha Falras Private Ltd., together with the Government of Nepal, Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation, Ministry of Agriculture Development, and Department of Agriculture surveys in Nepal, more than 20,400 hectares of marginal productivity areas are potential for commercial rubber farming in Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari and lower parts of Ilam districts. As a high value cash crop, value-added enterprises, and demanding domestic market, Nepal needs more than 12,000 metric ton of raw material and rubber related consumption if the rubber industries can run full scale. Thus, to promote the potential of rubber commercial farming in Nepal, GPKF and IRJR-N have entered into this agreement on 23rd September 2020.
Survey reports of Indian Rubber Board Expert team (1994) and Department of Agriculture, National Industrial Crop Development Program, Harihar Bhawan, Lalitpur (2013) and Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development report-2019 that the rubber promotion in the eastern Nepal has the prospect of generating more than 25,000 jobs and contribute significantly toward poverty alleviation. The outcome of the Letter of Agreement is that Gorakhkali Rubber Udyog Ltd., Footwear Manufacture Association, and Bishal Groups might be agreed to the buy-back for each rubber farmer’s raw product. In addition to this buy-back by GRUL, Bishal Groups, and Footwear Manufacture Association, rubber farmers will also have an option of selling their raw products to other merchants based on competitive market price. Foundation firmly believe that this will pave the way for youth entrepreneurship, uplift the economic status of local farmers and can contribute to reduce the country’s dependency on rubber import.