By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, July 3: Paddy plantation is going on in full swing across the country, thanks to the timely and regular rainfall.
According to the statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, paddy plantation has been completed in around 35.48 per cent paddy fields by Monday (June 29).
Out of 1.37 million hectares of paddy field across the country, plantation has been completed in 486,662 hectares by Monday.
“Paddy plantation activity across the country is moving encouragingly because of timely and regular rainfall everywhere,” said Dr. Hari Bahadur KC, spokesperson and joint-secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.
Paddy plantation has increased by twofold compared to same period last year, as only 14.75 per cent of plantation had been completed by the end of June last year.
“Definitely, present scenario of monsoon and rainfall shows an encouraging progress in paddy plantation in the beginning of the season. However, further rainfall will determine the total paddy plantation area and production of this year,” he said.
Stating that the arrival of locusts in the country had posed a challenge to the farmers and the government, as locusts were damaging the crops in some parts of the country, he asked the farmers to protect paddy sprouts by using net as locusts could damage it.
He, however, said that there was no report the locusts had damaged paddy plantation.
“I want to request the farmers to hold plantation for few days if they are going to transplant paddy as there is problem to save paddy field from locusts. We can protect the sprouts using nets,” he told The Rising Nepal.
Currently, locusts are damaging maize and other vegetables in a few districts even though they have already reached in above two dozen districts.
Paddy plantation completed in about 40.72 per cent of paddy filed in the mountain region, 37.95 per cent in the hilly region and 34.34 per cent in the Terai, he said.
Paddy plantation in the Terai, the major paddy production region of the country, has remained quite low during the review period, he said, adding that the plantation in the Terai would go up rapidly in coming days as plantation in the Terai will continue till the end of Shrawan (mid- August).
By now, paddy plantation has completed in the largest area of paddy field in Sudrupaschhim followed by Karnali State and State-5.
In Sudurpaschhim, paddy plantation has completed in 49.54 per cent of land followed by 49.15 per cent in Karnali State and 45.99 per cent in State-5 till date.
Likewise, the lowest paddy plantation has been carried out in State 1 where plantation has completed only in 21.80 per cent of the total paddy field.
Paddy plantation has completed in 36.22 per cent in Bagmati State, 35.66 per cent in Gandaki and 29.02 per cent in State-2.
The ministry said that paddy plantation activity would complete earlier this year than the last year and the plantation area is expected to increase this year as the federal government has been conducting various programmes and awareness campaigns in coordination with state and local governments not to leave the land barren.