Miscellaneous
Gamgadhi villagers find bugs in rice bags
A section of villagers from Mugu district have alleged the subsidised rice they purchased from Nepal Food Corporation (NFC) depot in Gamgadhi was infested by weevils and other bugs.Raj Bahadur Shahi
A section of villagers from Mugu district have alleged the subsidised rice they purchased from Nepal Food Corporation (NFC) depot in Gamgadhi was infested by weevils and other bugs.
Common weevil, the sitophilus oryzae, is a member of curculionidae family. Weevils are usually small, around 6 mm, and herbivorous. This pest attacks stored grains such as rice, wheat, corn, oats, barley, sorghum, and macaroni.
Many people returned the spoilt rice to the depot. Non-gazetted second-class officer Hansa Bahadur Aidi and District Coordination Committee member said he returned a sack of rice to NFC depot after finding it full of weevil. “I paid Rs 1,650 to buy the rice sack,” he said.
Although there is sufficient quantity of rice in the warehouse, villagers are not purchasing the NFC’s rice. People buy rice from local markets these days, he said.
Mugu NFC Depot Chief Bharatraj Khaniya said, “Sona Mansuli and Makwanpur among other varieties of rice are available in stores. We are facing problems due to some stocks of rotten rice.”
Around 450 quintals of Japanese rice stored in the warehouse has also rotted. The price of this rice is listed Rs 65 per kilo.
The NFC has moved 10,000 quintals of rice to Gamgadhi, 1,500 quintals to Shreekot, 4,200 quintals to Sorukot and 2,500 quintals to Pulu depots.
According to Gamgadhi depot official, around 2,500 quintals of rice that arrived last year in the depot remains for sale.