Kathmandu. The government has stressed on increasing the production of cotton in the country with preparations to bring the Hetauda textile industry into operation. KATHMANDU: Minister for Industry Gauri Kumari Yadav has called upon the private sector and entrepreneurs to invest in cotton farming to ensure the supply of raw materials for domestic industries.

On the occasion, Minister Yadav stressed on the need of expanding commercial cotton farming in the country to end the situation of import of cotton required for the operation of textile industries in the country. According to him, a sustainable chain of production can be built in the country if the production of raw materials required for the textile industry is also prioritized.

In this regard, Minister Yadav met Agriculture Minister Gita Chaudhary and discussed the possibilities of expanding cotton farming in Nepal. On the occasion, Minister Chaudhary said that the environment conducive for cotton farming was created in Dang, Banke and Bardiya among other districts.

Although there is potential for cotton cultivation in Nepal, foreign dependence on raw materials required for the textile industry has not been commercially cultivated. If the government expands cotton farming commercially, it is expected that a large amount of money spent on cotton import can be stopped in the country and farmers’ income can also be increased.

According to Director General of the Department of Industry, Jitendra Basnet, the process to reopen the Butwal Yarn Factory which was closed for a long time has also started. He informed that the task of evaluating the assets and liabilities required for the operation of the factory has reached the final stage.

With the resumption of the Hetauda textile industry, the raw materials required for the textile industry would be produced in the country and preparations to bring the Butwal Yarn Factory into operation have increased the possibility of developing a production chain from cotton to yarn and yarn to cloth in Nepal.

The government has introduced a policy to encourage the private sector to produce raw materials required for the textile industry within the country. The government is hopeful that connecting farmers, industries and private sector in a single production chain along with the expansion of cotton farming will help in employment generation, import substitution and increase domestic production.

Minister Yadav has been insisting on the need of investment from the private sector to produce raw materials required for domestic industries within the country. The government has the goal of reducing the import of foreign cotton by expanding cotton cultivation, increasing the availability of raw materials in the country and creating employment opportunities in the agriculture and industrial sector.

With the re-operation of Hetauda Textile Industry and Butwal Yarn Factory, the commercial expansion of cotton farming can reduce the cost of production of textile industries in Nepal and further strengthen the relationship between agriculture and industry. For this, the government needs to ensure incentives to farmers, investment environment to the private sector and raw materials required for industries.