44% paddy plantation completes in Banke

By Our Correspondent,Nepalgunj, July 5: Paddy plantation has been completed in 44 per cent of the total paddy field in Banke district so far.

According to Agricultural Knowledge Centre, Banke, paddy plantation has been moving in a rapid pace after the most places in Banke received rains over the past few days.

Due to lack of enough rainfall, planting was done only in 11 per cent paddy field by Sunday this week. 

After continuous rains for a few days, around 44.6 per cent planting has been done out of the total paddy land  in the district, said Khadak Basnet, Agricultural Technical Officer at the Agricultural Knowledge Centre, Banke.

Stating that due to good rains in the district this week, planting is going on at a rapid pace in all eight municipalities, he said that if planting continues at this pace, the plantation will be completed by the third week of July.

According to the Agricultural Knowledge Centre, Nepalgunj, most farmers were not able to start planting due to lack of rain in the district until the National Paddy Day was celebrated on June 29, this year. Basnet said that although the plantation started late due to water shortage, planting is progressing rapidly in all rice-producing areas in the district, and production is expected to be good this year.

He said that due to the Sikta Irrigation Project, the highest planting has been done in Rapti Sonari, Kohalpur and Baijanath. The lowest planting has been done in Janaki Rural Municipality.

Jayaram Yadav, a farmer of Duduwa Rural Municipality-6, Banke, who was worried about not being able to start planting on time, said that he has so far planted paddy seedlings in more than 50 per cent of his paddy field within a few days after it rained.

He said that the recent rains have increased his hopes for a good yield.

Similarly, Lakhan Tharu, a farmer from Rapti Sonari-3, said that although the plantation started a little late, the plantation was done well.

The Agricultural Knowledge Centre, Banke, said that although the planting started late this year, there is a possibility of better production than in the past if there are no floods and inundations.

There is a total of 36,500 hectares of cultivable land for rice cultivation in Banke. Last year, plantation was done in the entire paddy field.