A Nepalese agricultural researcher with links to Scotland has backed calls for the farming community to donate funds to those affected by last month’s earthquake.
Ketan Jung Dulal, who is currently carrying out a PhD at the University of Prince Edward Island in Canada looking at the reasons for mortality and injuries in chickens during the transit to slaughter, is urging Scots farmers to help with aid efforts.
Mr Dulal spent some of his academic career studying in Scotland, where he completed a Masters Degree in applied animal behaviour and welfare at Edinburgh University.
“The event is going to change what Nepal is in the future,” said Mr Dulal.
“The situation is really critical currently. I hear from my cousins in villages that their houses have been destroyed and they are struggling to survive. They are living in tents provided by the local council but the tent is torn and water can pour in. The government has not reached several places until now. My brother, who is an army officer helicopter pilot, said to me that they are struggling to provide other essentials to several places.”
Nepalese farmers had lost many livestock and livestock housing, while vets were struggling to meet demand, added Mr Dulal.
Last week the British Guild of Agricultural Journalists launched an appeal to help farming families affected by the earthquake.
The association is collecting funds to send directly to the farming community in the disaster-struck country.
This follows contact from a local agricultural journalist in the area – Pitamber Sigdel – who was among a group of journalists to visit Scotland last September. He said: “Among the dead, some 60% are farmers.”
To donate funds to the guild to help farmers in Nepal, money can be sent by BACS to sort code: 30-80-34 account no. 49237468. Please use the reference: Nepal Fund.