Farmers worry as winter crops fail to sprout

By Our Correspondent,Humla, Feb. 15: Farmers in Humla are concerned as winter crops like barley and wheat sown in October last year failed to germinate. 

The lack of sufficient snowfall this winter has resulted in dry soil, preventing the crops from sprouting in fields which lack irrigation facilities.

Dharma Kala Rokaya, a farmer from Simkot Rural Municipality-5, said the wheat and barley crops have not sprouted due to insufficient snowfall in December, January and February. Expressing concern over the situation, she stressed the need to explore alternative solutions.

Despite five instances of snowfall in the past three months, the accumulation was only about one and a half feet -- far below the required level to moisten the soil.

According to her, proper germination of these winter crops (locally known as Jethasi crops) depends on heavy snowfall in January.

Netra Bahadur Shahi, the Chief of the Agriculture Division at Simkot Rural Municipality, confirmed that insufficient snowfall and a lack of irrigation facilities have prevented the germination of Jethasi crops this year. However, he added that if snowfall occurs in the coming days, there is still a possibility of germination.

At this time of the year, fields should be covered in green wheat and barley shoots, but instead, barren land is visible everywhere. Wheat is cultivated on 1,024 hectares of land in Humla district, while barley is grown on 685 hectares, the Agriculture Development Office said.