Home > News > Republica: KATHMANDU 350 more students to be trained in Israel
2 May, 2014
KATHMANDU, April 30:
SFI comment: This is a brilliant story, lost elsewhere in the media, the key word in the headline is ‘more’…
Israel has offered the opportunity for 360 Nepali students this year to take advanced agricultural training there, according to the Embassy of Israel in Kathmandu.
The embassy has provided similar training for 205 students last year, the embassy informed during a press meet in Kathmandu on Wednesday. According to the embassy, the students will be selected through lottery and interviews.
Speaking at the press meet, Hanan Goder-Goldberger said that such training will enhance the performance of small farmers and the trained students will contribute toward the development of agricultural sector in Nepal. “Technology, skill and capital are needed for the farmers to boost agricultural production of Nepal. The training will provide opportunity to the farmers here in meeting these requirements to some extent,” Goder said.
The Sana Kisan Bikas Bank Ltd (SKBBL) has pledged financial support for the returnees to start their own agri-business. “SKBBL aims to reduce poverty through agricultural development,” said, Jalan Kumar Sharma, chief executive officer of SKBBL, adding that more people in the villages could be encouraged to take up commercial farming.
The embassy has provided such training opportunity to 205 students last year also, who are scheduled to return to Nepal between June-October this year. Ambassador Goder said that the students will share their knowledge, apply modern technology and skill in Nepal. According to the embassy, the selected students will receive training on production and study of flowers and vegetables.
Israel is known as a world-leader in employing modern technologies in agriculture despite the fact that the geography of Israel is not naturally conducive to agriculture. More than half of the land area is desert, and the climate and lack of water resources do not favor farming. However, it produces 95 percent of its own food requirements for its nearly 8 million population.