BIRGUNJ: The National Innovation Center has successfully researched and developed 16 different types of agricultural tools within 32 months of taking over the operation and management of the Birgunj Agricultural Tool Factory.
According to Ritesh Dev, the head and engineer at the factory, the center has been dedicated to innovating tools that address the needs of Nepali farmers.
“We have researched and developed 16 types of agricultural tools, both small and large, that are essential for agricultural activities in Nepal,” he said.
Among the innovations are household-use straw cutters, rice cutters (reapers), grain processors, small rice planting machines, grass scrapers, harrows, hole diggers, potato planters and diggers, small tractor-mounted cultivators, hand press machines, plastic mulchers, banana fiber extractors, cow dung harvesters, millet planting machines, and various hand tools like axes and hoes.
While still primarily in the research and development phase, the factory has begun selling ordinary tools to interested individuals. Dev mentioned that some well-wishers visiting the factory have purchased the tools and taken them for use.
A significant boost to production has come from the installation of a CNC machine, procured at a cost of Rs 5 million. “The CNC machine has simplified and expedited the manufacturing process, providing significant support to our engineers and technical staff,” Dev added.
Currently, 36 people are employed at the Birgunj Agricultural Tool Factory. Dev stressed the importance of government support for the factory’s sustainability, especially as the government prepares its budget. He urged the federal, provincial, and local governments to facilitate customs exemptions or concessions on the raw iron materials needed for tool production, highlighting the burden of high import taxes.
The Birgunj Agricultural Tool Factory, originally established with financial and technical support from the former Soviet Union, officially began operations on March 11, 1968. In its early years, it not only supplied the domestic market but also exported tools abroad. However, due to management shortcomings, the factory ceased operations in 2003.
The government has been working to revive the factory. Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Ramnath Adhikari, shared his commitment to supporting the factory’s strengthening and commercialization. “After assuming office, I visited the factory and have been facilitating necessary support to ensure its revival,” he said.
Efforts to revive the factory formally began after a Cabinet decision on September 16, 2022, which entrusted the National Innovation Center with its management for a 10-year period. An agreement was signed on September 27, 2022, between then Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Ramesh KC and National Innovation Center Chairperson Mahabir Pun. Although the center formally began its work in January 2023, it inherited a factory in a severely deteriorated state.
Now, with steady progress and innovation, the Birgunj Agricultural Tool Factory is on its path to becoming a vital support system for Nepal’s agricultural community once again.
Comment