Kathmandu-Devchuli Municipality in Nawalpur has distributed agricultural machinery worth Rs 9.2 million to farmers at a 50 per cent subsidy to help modernise farming and boost agricultural production.

According to Gagan Bhattarai, Chief of the Municipality’s Agriculture Development Section, the support was provided under the Agricultural Innovation Promotion Partnership Project.

More than 13 farmer groups, 70 entrepreneurs, and commercial farmers received modern agricultural equipment based on their needs and demand.

The distributed machinery includes 30 six-horsepower hand tractors, 28 seven-horsepower hand tractors, seven paddy harvesters, 21 maize planting machines (jab planters), four push seeders, 10 corn threshers, six grinding machines, one dehuller, one weighing machine, one paddy and wheat harvester, one combine harvester, and one trailer.

Bhattarai said the hand tractors were specifically distributed to farmers in hilly areas where operating larger tractors is difficult, aiming to improve farm mechanisation and increase productivity.