Kathmandu, Sept 24 : Girija Prasad Koirala Foundation and Institute of Rubber and Jatropha Research-Nepal, USA, have signed agreement for commercial rubber farming and research.    

Director at Science and Technology Department of the Foundation, Dr Tara Prasad Banjade, and Executive Director of the Institute, Tilak Bhandari, today signed the agreement in presence of Foundation Chair Sujata Koirala.    

An understanding has been reached between the two organizations to start works soon with an objective of cultivating rubber on hundreds of hectares of land within five years, to improve living standard of farmers, to create employment and to involve youth and students in research of rubber farming, according to the Foundation.    

It is shared that the country might be self- dependent on rubber production by decreasing around Rs 11 billion spent in import of rubber tyre, tube and rubber-related raw materials in a year.    

On the occasion, Foundation Chair Koirala said that an agreement has been signed with the US organization in order to utilize it as an opportunity of creating employment for thousands of youths in the country at a time when Nepal and world have been facing a huge crisis in economic and social sectors due to COVID-19.    

Similarly, Executive Director of Institute, Bhandari, shared that raw materials could be provided to around 500 rubber industries inside the country in a permanent manner by initiating further research of rubber farming and producing rubber in a commercial way in the country.  

  
Gorakhkali Rubber Industry Ltd was established in 2049 BS at the direction of former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and a nine-member rubber development committee representing rubber farmers was also formed.