Nepal Commemorates Rice Cultivators Day as Part of YORA Celebrations

PRESS RELEASE
June 29, 2009

The All Nepal Peasants Federation (ANPFa), an umbrella association of Nepali peasants' organizations, celebrated the Year of Rice Action (YORA) on 29 June, 2009, by commemorating Rice Cultivators Day with events held across the country hosted by partner organizations.
The inaugural event, 'Rice and Peasants Day,' was held in conjunction with the rice plantation festival and was hosted by Kedar K.C., district chairperson of the ANPFa in Godham Chaur, Lalitpur, Nepal. Guests included Mr. Bam Dev Gautam, chairperson of the ANPFa and other national committee members as well as approximately 800 farmers who came out to celebrate the event.

The day was celebrated in towns across the country, including Mushekhola in the district of Tanahun. At this event the Secretary General of the Communist Party of Nepal (UML), Mr. Jhalanath Khanal, attended as chief guest. To mark the occasion Mr. Khanal planted rice seeds and provided guests with yogurt and beaten rice.

During the Tanahun program Mr. Khanal said that a new economy cannot be built without addressing the troubles of peasants, and in order to do so cultivable land must be enhanced and credit and services provided. He also explained that without recognizing Food Sovereignty as a fundamental right, progress for peasants is impossible. He further added that technical farms that had been damaged during conflict times should be reconstructed to enhance the livelihood opportunities of peasants. He emphasized that land must belong to those who cultivate it for agricultural purposes; in the case of absentee landlords, pieces of land should be identified and provided to peasants.

Another successful event was held in Pungpung in the district of Dhading. The program was chaired by national committee member Krishna Aryal and was attended by 300 people, including peasants, agricultural officers and irrigation officers.

In Sundhuli, Ms. Uma Koirala, president of the Women's Peasants Association, along with local leader Mr. Rabindra Adhikari, participated in a programme that attracted 500 peasants.
Morang held a discussion on rice in Nepal that was hosted by Ms. Sabitra Regmi and attended by approximately 300 people, and in Haluwa VDC Dang 200 peasants gathered to celebrate with chief guest Mr. Tika Ram Khadka.

Similar programs commemorating Rice Cultivators day and celebrating YORA were held around the country, including events in Dhanusha, Kanchanpur, Mahendra Narar, Dadeldhura, Jhapa, Dhankuta, Siraha, Saptari, Dhanusa, Mohattari, Sindhuli, Sarlahi, Rautahat, Bara, Makwanpur, Arghakhachi, Gulmi, Banke, Dang, Bardia, Kailali and Kanchanpur. The programs were widely covered by local and national media.

Rice is Life to the people of Nepal. It is the staple food, the culture and dignity as well as the main contributor to national GDP and per capita income. It is cultivated across all ecological regions from the hills to low river beds to 3000 meter high terraced cliffs. Locally developed varieties allow farmers to cultivate rice even in Nepal's mountainous environment 4000 meters above sea level.

The country has been recognized as the holder of the greatest number of rice varieties, with more than 2000 varieties in a country of 147,181 square kilometers. Of Nepal's 3 million hectares of farmland, approximately 2.5 million hectares are covered by rice. Peasants have played a key role in rice cultivation over the centuries, developing methods to conserve, develop and protect new varieties adaptable to different ecological settings. In Nepal, rice is not only a crop but also the foundation of national being, reaching the political, social, economic and cultural aspects of Nepalese life.

As in many Asian rice-growing countries, traditional Nepalese rice culture is under threat. Small farmers have been marginalized in the name of globalization and neo-liberalization as well as by the policies of institutions like the WTO. Fertile rice lands have been converted for industrial use, urbanization and other undertakings putting rice heritage at risk.
Peasants are committed to resisting the threats to traditional rice culture and are uniting across the country to celebrate rice through YORA events like Rice Cultivators Day. For more information on how you can get involved in YORA, please visit www.panap.net/yora

YORA is jointly organized by people's organizations in China, Japan, Korea, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh in collaboration with the Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PAN AP). It runs from 4 April 2009 to 4 April 2010. # # #