Farmers busy harvesting rice surviving excessive rain

By Our Correspondent

Pyuthan, Oct 16 : Farmers of Pyuthan were unable to harvest their rice on time due to continuous heavy rain for more than a week ago. 

Large portion of ripened paddy was destroyed by the rain across the district including the district’s major production area in Jhimrukphant. 

“The last week of September was when we planned to harvest the paddies. However, the rain upset our plan and crop. A lot of paddy decayed after being inundated in water for days. The fields are still muddy and paddies still wet,” said Madhu Subedi, a farmer from Ward No. 7 of Pyuthan Municipality.

With the rain now stopped, farmers have started harvesting the paddies that have survived. Many farmers could be seen busy separating survived paddies on the fields in Jhimrukphant. 

“Paddies are being cut and are kept in the sun for drying. They are then stored in respective places by the respective farmers,” said Bhawani Prasad Parajuli, a farmer from Ward No. 10 of Pyuthan.

According to Parajuli, the farmers want to complete the harvest before the Tihar festival commences. Similarly, they don’t want to be disturbed by another rain.

Pyuthan’s Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Project informed that paddies were cultivated in 6,575 hectares of land across the district. Officials have expected a decline in paddy production as a large portion was destroyed by disease and rain.

Excessive rains for days in the recent weeks have damaged paddies across the country. In places where rains have stopped, farmers have started collecting surviving paddies.