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A food crisis has arisen in Himali Rural Municipality after the subsidized rice ran out at the Kuwadi Temporary Food Depot in the district.

The crisis of subsidized rice has led to hardship for the inhabitants of Wards 1, 2, and 3 (Bichchaya) in Himali Rural Municipality, as well as Wards 4 and 5 (Rugin) in the same municipality.

Dhanlal Rokaya, a resident of Himali Rural Municipality-3, who has been facing a food crisis, expressed his grief as the last financial year’s rice ran out in the month of July at the food depot.

Himali Rural Municipality Ward No. 1 resident Dharmalal Rokaya shared in a phone conversation with a INSEC District representative that despite spending two days to travel to the Kuwadi Temporary Food Depot to purchase rice, he returned home empty-handed as the depot had run out of rice. Consequently, he had to buy expensive rice from the market upon his return.

During the fiscal year 2022/23, the Kuwadi depot held a stock of 3,500 quintals of rice. Mekhraj Ojha, the leader of Food Management and Trading Company Limited in Bajura, explained that the scarcity of rice has occurred due to the sale of Kota’s rice in the final week of July.

Despite the allocation of 3,500 quintals of rice for the Kuwadi depot in the fiscal year 2023/24, the rice distribution process has been delayed resulting in a shortage of rice availability. The rice available at the Kuwadi depot was being sold to local consumers at a subsidized rate of NPR 52 per kilogram. However, following the scarcity of rice in the depot, the same rice is now being sold in the market at a higher price of NPR 80 per kilogram, putting local consumers under compulsion to purchase at the elevated price.

In Himali Rural Municipality-1, Ammalal Budthapa conveyed his sorrow over the fact that 25 villagers had traveled to Bichchhaya to purchase rice. However, since rice was unavailable, they had to resort to buying costly rice from the market upon their return. Bichchhaya, has a population of only 4,000 individuals. The Rural Municipality has been informed that every household is facing a food crisis.

According to the chairperson of Himali Rural Municipality, Gobind Bahadur Malla, even though there is sufficient rice available at the market and at the depot of Food Management and Trading Company Limited, the scarcity of rice in remote areas has led to difficulties for financially deprived families and locals.

Similarly, in the recently established Mukti Kot Temporary Sales Center in Swamikartik Rural Municipality, there is also a shortage of rice, as informed by the rural municipality.

The Food Management and Trading Company Limited, Bajura’s Chief, Mekharaj Ojha, has explained that 500 quintals of rice from the last fiscal year finished in the month of (May/June), and the current fiscal year’s allocation of 500 kgs of rice is currently undergoing shipping contract procedures.

Amidst the scarcity of rice in distant depots, Martadi and Kolti depots, have market access and an abundant rice supply. According to the statement of Mekharaj Ojha, there are currently 1,200 quintals of rice available at the Martadi depot and 1,229 quintals of rice at the Kolti depot.

Himali Rural Municipality stands as the most challenged rural area within the district, where locally grown produce falls short to sustain even for a period of two months. The residents of distant villages within this rural municipality require up to a week to travel to Martadi.

Padam Bahadur Singh