August 30, 2014, 3:00 pm 
Nepal should engage more youth to boost agriculture productivity, according to newly appointed ambassador of Israel to Nepal Yaron Mayor.
Addressing an orientation programme organised for students, who are heading for Israel for agriculture training today, he said that the government of Israel has been engaging trained youth in the agriculture sector.
“The 10-month training would be provided to eligible youth farmers,” Mayor said, adding that the Israeli government has recently increased the quota for Nepali students.
Last year altogether 205 students have gone Israel for agriculture training through the bank, and 501 students have been selected for the training this year, according to Small Farmers Development Bank that has been selecting students for agriculture training in Israel.
Nepali farmers are engaged in subsistence agriculture due to lack of trainings and adequate knowledge, said chief executive officer of Small Farmers Development Bank Jalan Kumar Sharma, on the occasion.
Value chain development in agro processing industries is a must to raise productivity, he said, adding that farmers should be linked in the value chain to motivate them to take up commercial farming.
Chairman of the bank Khem Bahadur Pathak, on the occasion, requested the ambassador to increase the training quota for the youth farmers. “Two thirds of the population in Nepal is dependent on agriculture and two thirds of them are small farmers,” he said, adding that more training and access to finance are necessary to uplift their living standards.
