Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has asserted that reconstruction and constitution implementation were the two primary works of the government. The Prime Minister said this while inaugurating a workshop on herbal medicinal plants, honey, cold water fish and the NEDAC general assembly here today. The workshop was jointly organized by the National Cooperatives Development Board, the National Cooperative Federation Ltd, the Nepal Agriculture Cooperative Central Federation Ltd and the National Cooperative Bank Ltd. The Prime Minister stated that the constitution made by including the rights of all the communities was in the implementation phase. “Nearly 67 per cent of the country’s population depends on agriculture and since the country is in the new phase of economic revolution, the economic development should be pursued parallel with the country’s reconstruction,” PM Oli said. He pointed out the need for using new technology in the production and marketing of the medicinal herbs, honey, cold water fish found in Nepal, laying emphasis on Nepal adopting the agriculture cooperative -related successful knowledge and technology in practice in NEDAC member countries. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Poverty Alleviation, Chitra Bahadur KC said that the co-operative sector, which is one component of the three-pillar economic policy of the country, has played a significant role in the country’s sustainable development. Secretary at the Ministry of Cooperative and Poverty Alleviation, Shankar Prasad Adhikari said 27 per cent of the 33 per cent cooperatives in the country were agricultural cooperatives. Chairman of the National Cooperative Federation Ltd, Keshav Prasad Badal expressed the conviction that NEDAC would always extend cooperation for the development of agriculture and cooperative sectors which are the backbone of the country’s economy. Co-chairman of the National Cooperative Development Board Saroj Kumar Sharma said NEDAC should be taken as the common platform where the member countries share experience in meeting their development goals. NEDAC chairperson Ms Vasudha Mishra stressed on using new technology in agriculture. Regional Director of International Cooperative Network Bala Subramanhiah Aiyer laid emphasis on tackling the problem of marketing of agricultural produce which he described as the common problem. On the occasion, NEDAC advisor Dr Daman Prakash was conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition to his contribution to the development of the cooperative movement in Nepal. The programme will continue for three days and discuss working papers to be presented by the experts from different countries. NEDAC is a unique regional forum linking 21 apex cooperative organizations in 12 countries. It was set up in 1991 by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) on the recommendation of the 1990 ICA regional conference of cooperative ministers. Initially with 10 cooperative organizations from nine Asian countries as members, NEDAC now has 21 cooperative member organizations in 12 countries. The NEDAC member organizations in Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand represent three million agricultural cooperatives which play a crucial role in improving the livelihoods of 150 million rural households. NEDAC sensitizes governments in the region to the need for a key role for agricultural cooperatives in promoting agricultural and rural development to ensure rural food and livelihood security for hundreds of millions of people in Asia and the Pacific. -