Kathmandu, Ashoj 18 (Oct 4): The government has prepared a bilateral agreement on the export of processed buffalo meat to China. Dr. Tapendra Bohra, co-spokesperson of the ministry, informed that the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has prepared the necessary letters for the agreement between the two countries and written to the Chinese government.
The Ministry has completed its homework and said that the ‘Memorandum of Agreement’ has been approved by the Cabinet meeting and has been sent to China. After the Chinese government sets a date, the two countries will sign an export agreement. Co-spokesperson Bohra said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already sent the approved agreement proposal to China through diplomatic channels, as soon as China’s response is received, a formal bilateral agreement will be made.
According to Co-Spokesperson Bohra, in October last year, the then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ during his visit to China included the issue of exporting ‘cooked buffalo meat’ to China. After the agreement, China’s ‘General Administration of Customs’ sent a document on risk analysis in meat production to Nepal. To take the agreement to the implementation level, the ministry prepared the necessary agreement and sent it to China. The General Administration of China Customs (GACC) has policies on the import of 18 food items, including meat.
GCC has made rules such as that buffaloes should be disease-free for meat import, food should be produced in Nepali climate with hygiene, buffaloes should be less than 30 months old, and standards set by the government should be followed during ‘slaughter’. Nepal has to export meat according to international standards.
The Ministry has designated some districts of Madhes Province, Bagmati Province and Lumbani Province as pocket areas for buffalo meat to export meat. The ministry has developed infrastructure to meet the international standards for meat in that area and has given permission to some entrepreneurs to raise buffaloes. According to the agreement, it is expected that the trade deficit with China will be reduced after meat is exported.
