A Boost to Industry, Exports and Hope

A large-scale buffalo meat processing industry is set to begin operations within the next two years in Marin Rural Municipality–4, Sindhuli, with an investment of Rs 20 billion from China. The project, approved by the Department of Industries (DoI) on July 20, is being developed by Chengdu Jian Food Company from China’s Sichuan Province as per the agreement reached between Nepal and China during Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s visit to China in December last year. According to the company, the plant will produce 200,000 metric tons of meat and 55,000 metric tons of by-products including hides, internal organs and heads annually. The facility is expected to create jobs for 5,156 people and export around Rs 150 billion worth of meat to China each year. The company has proposed acquiring 100 bighas of land in Sindhuli, with construction expected to finish in 10 to 20 months and production to begin within two years. While some of the meat will be sold domestically, exports will be routed through the Kerung border point as China is expected to be the main market. This development marks a significant milestone in Nepal’s industrial and investment landscape. The registration and operation of such a large foreign direct investment project is a rare and noteworthy event. For a country striving to diversify its economy and generate employment, the establishment of large-scale industries like this one carries substantial meaning.