Market monitoring launched targeting Dashain festival

KATHMANDU: The government has launched market monitoring from today with mobile food laboratories targeting festivals like Dashain, Tihar, and Chhath.

The Department of Food Technology and Quality Control has initiated this monitoring in the districts of Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur using two mobile vans.

During the launch of the market monitoring campaign, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Ramnath Adhikari, stated, “The mobile vans, which were procured years ago but have been idle for about six or seven years due to various reasons, are now being deployed for food quality testing targeting the Dashain and Tihar festivals.”

According to Minister Adhikari, two additional mobile vans that still require repairs will be fixed soon and will be put into operation from the east to the west of the country.

He mentioned that the testing of food items in the market has begun to ensure that consumers do not consume expired or unsafe food, especially in light of the increasing number of hospitalizations related to food consumption.

Highlighting the recent floods and landslides, Minister Adhikari noted that the agriculture sector has suffered the most damage, with initial estimates suggesting losses of over Rs 6 billion.

He added that discussions are ongoing in the Cabinet regarding relief for affected farmers, and efforts are being made to provide aid as quickly as possible.

The minister also mentioned that compensation for the families of the deceased and those missing due to the disasters had started from Tuesday, and he pledged that all victims would receive relief before Dashain.