In the Wake of Lockdown and Supply Chain Disruptions, a Food Crisis Looms
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WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXVIII No. 46 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 36.2 C 2.4 C Saturday, April 11, 2020 | 29-12-2076 Janakpur Jumla In the wake of lockdown and supply chain disruptions, a food crisis looms Since Nepal relies almost entirely on imports of chemical fertilisers, any disruption to the supply chain could quickly escalate into a food crisis, say experts. SANGAM PRASAIN KATHMANDU, APRIL 10 On March 31, the heads of three global agencies warned of a potential world- wide food shortage if countries failed to ensure food security while enacting measures to control the spread of Covid-19. “Uncertainty about food availabili- ty can spark a wave of export restric- tions, creating a shortage on the global market,” said the joint text signed by the heads of the United POST FILE PHOTO Nations Food and Agriculture A low farm yield spells a disaster for Nepal. Organization (FAO), World Health POST PHOTO: DEEPAK CK Organization (WHO) and World Trade food crisis is emerging again and this People wait for food aid offered by Kathmandu Ward 9 at Battisputali in the Capital on Friday as the nationwide lockdown over Covid-19 outbreak fears continues. Organization (WTO). time, it’s not due to inadequate pro- For countries like Nepal, which rely duction but a result of the breakdown almost entirely on imports for agricul- in supply chains.” tural inputs, the restrictions that There are total lockdowns in a num- many countries, including India, have ber of countries, including Nepal and imposed in the wake of the Covid-19 India, forcing farmers, field hands, Oli government’s ad-hoc decision-making could pandemic could quickly trigger a food transporters and produce sellers crisis, say experts. indoors during the peak springtime “As around a third of the population harvest season. Without workers, pro- around the world is on lockdown to duce is rotting in the fields, increasing cost the people and nation dearly, say observers prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the threat of food security, according the global supply chain and produc- to Khanal. tion have all broken down,” said The agriculture sector, which con- Uncoordinated decisions have long been the hallmark of the Oli administration but during a crisis as this, Rameshore Khanal, a former secre- tributes 27 percent to the country’s tary at the Finance Ministry. “Nepal GDP, has already been affected by a such decisions could have serious consequences. may also feel the pain sooner or later. comparatively low summer output, of We need to be well prepared.” paddy in particular, caused by the ANIL GIRI Such ad-hoc decision-making has which reflects in the Pokhrel commit- Global crises tend to have ripple delayed monsoon, floods and disease. KATHMANDU, APRIL 10 long been the hallmark of the KP tee’s decisions, say observers. effects on almost all sectors, but espe- Now, the Covid-19 pandemic has fur- Sharma Oli administration, say The lockdown, enforced since cially agriculture and food produc- ther dampened the prospects of a good The Ishwar Pokhrel-led committee for political observers, and Thursday’s March 24, may have helped control the tion. World food prices increased dra- winter harvest and the beginning of the prevention and control of Covid-19 fiasco was just one more link in spread of the disease to a large extent, matically in 2007 and the first and spring cultivation. on Thursday made a debacle. Within the chain. but experts have long said that it’s not second quarters of 2008, leading to Last week, Indian rice traders less than two hours of deciding to Though Nepal has not reported any the only solution and that the authori- political and economic instability and decided to stop signing new export allow people to leave the Valley to go more cases of Covid-19 since the tally ties need to put in place multiple social unrest. The crisis was a result contracts amid the nationwide lock- back to their homes on Friday and reached nine last Saturday, going by measures to fight the pandemic. Apart of severe droughts in major rice pro- down instituted by the Narendra Modi Saturday, a decision that was publicly the unprecedented spread of the coro- from technical steps, one key measure ducing counties and an increase in government to curb the spread of the announced on the Facebook page of navirus in various countries, Nepal is transparency and the free flow of fuel prices. coronavirus. Their decision was trig- the Office of the Prime Minister and continues to face a significant threat. accurate information regarding the “In 2007 and 2008, the markets were gered by labour shortages and logisti- Council of Ministers, the decision was The Oli administration, however, still efforts the government is making to dictated by powerful suppliers and the cal disruptions, as all workers have swiftly reversed and the Facebook does not seem to be treating the situa- fight the disease. price reached alarmingly unprece- been forced indoors. page itself disappeared. FILE PHOTO POST tion with the gravity it deserves, >> Continued on page 4 dented levels,” said Khanal. “A global >> Continued on page 4 Farmers are selling their produce for a pittance even as customers are paying exorbitant prices Lockdown has meant farmers are unable to travel to Kathmandu to sell produce, relying on traders who seek own profits. ADITI ARYAL which generate most of KATHMANDU, APRIL 10 what is consumed in Kathmandu, are in a simi- Kanchha Shrestha, a vege- lar situation. Many farm- table farmer in Dhading, ers rely on public trans- is desperate to sell his pro- port to bring their produce duce. His vegetables are to the city for sale, either ready to be harvested and at the central Kalimati dispatched to the markets, bazaar or on their own but he has no means to around the city. But with transport them. He is now all public transportation selling whatever he can at prohibited, farmers are cut-rate prices. Off-season now forced to rely on mid- vegetables like cauliflower dlemen for ferrying their and cucumbers are going produce, who are offering for less than Rs20 per exceedingly low prices. kilo when last year, he was “They [the middlemen] selling the same for Rs 130 set the prices that benefit a kilo. them and we are bound to “The yield looks more comply, or we will be left promising when compared with no choice but to lose to last year, but the reve- our harvest,” said Pushkar nue will be lower than Nepal, a vegetable farmer anticipated,” said from Kavre. “Some farm- Shrestha. ers from the area have Due to the nationwide agreed to sell gourds for lockdown, most farmers in less than Rs10 a kilo to Kavre, Dhading and these middlemen.” Makwanpur districts, >> Continued on page 4 C M Y K SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2020 | 02 MEDLEY Inside the Post Quote of the day People with disabilities who depend on daily income suffer due to National nationwide lockdown, Page 1 Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Friday discussed challenges raised by Covid-19 with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and stressed the need to keep the supply chain intact during the time of crisis. “I don’t have money. More than my life, I am concerned about my son. The Money Municipality hasn’t given us anything, There are sufficient stocks of food and shipments arrive regularly, officials said amid public concerns over supply disruptions caused by the Covid-19 lockdown. as they say aid is reversed only for people native to the area.” World Kapil BK, a visually impaired man, on the problem brought upon Another horror day of the coronavirus pandemic saw the global death toll pass by the protracted lockdown. 94,000, although there were tentative signs of hope that the crisis was peaking in the United States and Europe. Sports Most read online Spanish La Liga champions Barcelona were in turmoil on Friday after six board directors resigned criticising the clubs’s handling of a social media scandal and the financial implications of the coronavirus crisis. Two of the club’s four vice Nepal Police’s decision to deduct salaries for the Covid-19 presidents, Emili Rousaud and Enrique Tombas, were among those to quit, joined by directors Silvio Elias, Josep Pont, Jordi Calsamiglia and Maria Texidor. fund unfair on its personnel, say critics The Nepal Police’s decision to deduct the pay of all officials above the rank of assistant sub-inspector to contribute to the government’s fund to fight Covid-19 Culture & Arts has been met with dismay, with many believing it could affect the morale of The best thing about Uma is its non-partisan approach. It does not have black and security forces. white characters, rather it treads in the grey zones of reality. It is not a revolution- ary fable, nor it is a piece of anti-Maoist propaganda. It is just a story of the times we lived in. Nepal government derecognises Honorary Consul of Kyrgyzstan Agrawal The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has derecognised Honorary Consul of Kyrgyzstan Sulav Agrawal two days after he was found to have misused the News Quiz vehicle of his office and national flag of the country he represented in Nepal. Nepalis in Portugal live in fear of infection 1. Which border d. Rs 1 million POST PHOTO: ANGAD DHAKAL point has been 4. Kathmandu Metropolitan City A young man bowls during a game of cricket at Gothatar in Kathmandu. but are financially insulated opened for one- has fixed how many designated It has been over three weeks since Nabaraj Pokhrel left his apartment in Lisbon.