Manahari (Hetauda): Gundruk produced in Hetauda has received official recognition. The gundruk produced by the Kanchenjunga Agricultural Cooperative Society Small Enterprise Industry, located in Hetauda-12 Ghalegaun, has been officially certified for use.
At a press conference held in the sub-metropolitan office today, it was announced that the gundruk produced by this industry has been certified as suitable for use by the Hetauda-based Food Technology and Quality Control Office. This certification marks the first time that gundruk has received government quality recognition, thanks to the training conducted with the investment of the sub-metropolitan city.
Sub-metropolitan Chief Minakumari Lama stated that the sub-metropolitan city will assist in the marketing of the gundruk produced here. While handing over the license to the entrepreneurial group, she committed to supporting the marketing of gundruk in the Hetauda market and other potential areas. She informed that in the first phase, gundruk will be marketed in the Hetauda market and in the second phase, in outer districts.
Dilesh Govind Joshi, president of the Hotel Business Association Makwanpur, mentioned that around 1,200 kilograms of gundruk are consumed monthly in the district. He assured that hotels would use locally produced gundruk. “With the government certification, we don’t have to worry about quality. Now, there will be no problem using locally produced gundruk in the district’s hotels,” he said.
With the government certification, the path for marketing gundruk has opened. After about four months of monitoring and testing, the Food Technology and Quality Control Office issued the license for the use of gundruk, informed Chief of the Sub-Metropolitan Industry Branch Himaprasad Poudel.
Chinimaya Gurung, president of the entrepreneurial group, expressed their happiness upon receiving the license for gundruk produced from organic greens started with an investment of one lakh from the sub-metropolitan city. “We have reached this stage thanks to the encouragement provided by the sub-metropolitan city. With the cooperation of the sub-metropolitan city and a loan of 80 thousand rupees from the cooperative, we rented 15 katthas of land, cultivated greens, and produced gundruk,” she said.
She mentioned that they could not market the gundruk due to the lack of a license. “Without the license, around three lakh rupees worth of gundruk was just stored. Now it has become easier,” she said.
Currently, the group has 12 members. The group started producing gundruk in Mangsir after signing an agreement with the sub-metropolitan city last Ashoj. According to the industry branch’s statistics, although the sub-metropolitan city has provided various types of training to more than 800 people, only 268 have currently engaged in entrepreneurship.
