KATHMANDU - Hongshi-Shivam Cement Private Limited, a Nepal-China joint venture company, is to start cement production from March 2018, a director of the company said.

Once it starts producing cement in Nepal, it will be the largest cement factory in Nepal with a daily production capacity of 6,000 tons.

Shiva Ratna Sharada, director of the joint venture company, told Xinhua on Monday the construction work is underway in full swing and they hoped to start production of cement from March next year.

The factory is being constructed at Nepal's South Western district of Nawalparasi and its mine site is located at neighboring Palpa district.

With the initial production capacity of 6,000 tons a day, the company has planned to penetrate into domestic market firstly.

Company officials said they also planned to export cement to India, China and other countries by increasing the factory's capacity to 12,000 tons a day after a few years.