Punjab Newspaper

The Intergovernmental Institution for the use of Microalgae Spirulina Against Malnutrition (IIMSAM) is exploring avenues to promote spirulina in The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal in order to tackle malnutrition. H.E. Ambassador Manish Uprety, Special Envoy to South Asia, who is a special emissary of H.E. Ambassador Remigio Maradona, Director General-IIMSAM met with the Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal to the United Kingdom, H.E. Ambassador Murari Raj Sharma recently to explore avenues to initiate Spirulina programmes in the country.


The aim is to eradicate malnutrition and secure the United Nations Millennium Development Goals in the country. Spirulina is rich in iron and protein and can be administered to children without any risk. It is estimated that 10 spirulina centers of 10 hectares each can yiled 360 million does of spirulina annually. Each dose of 10 grams can be mixed with cereal(s) flour, that can recuperate and save lives of over six million people a year.
In the meeting with H E Ambassador Murari Raj Sharma, it was suggested that Spirulina cultivation can also protect economic interests of small and marginal farmers.
H E Ambassador manish Uprety suggested that the model developed jointly by IIMSAM and the Kanwaljit Sandal Foundation (KSF) for Grassroots development can be adopted. The IIMSAM-KSF Model for Grassroots Development that was developed by H.E. Ambassador Manish Uprety along with the Kanwaljit Sandal Foundation and Hash Biotech Labs Private Ltd. It guarantees a unique buy-back from the local cultivators. Under the programme, any surplus spirulina production shall be bought back by Hash Biotech Pvt. Ltd from the farmers.
IIMSAM’s Director General H.E. Amb. Remigio Maradona, “I am confident that Nepal would play a pivotal role to realise our mandate of a world free of malnutrition and hunger through Spirulina; and to deliver the benefits of Spirulina cultivation to the peoples through the unique IIMSAM-KSF Model for Grassroots Development”.
Vikrant Sandal, chairman Hash Group of Industries stated that the IIMSAM-KSF model is unique in many respects. “It not only seeks to tackle the problem of malnourishment, but is also a solution to economic woes of small and marginal farmers.
Hash Biotech Labs Private Limited, part of the Hash Group conglomerate, has succeded in developing economically viable techniques for mass production of spirulina under various agro-climatic conditions. The company has a commercial production unit at Dasuya in Hoshiarpur district of Indian Punjab, while its state of the art Research and Development centre is located at Mohali, near Chandigarh.