Paddy plantation completes in 95% fields

Kathmandu, Aug. 26: Paddy plantation of this year has completed, as plantation has been done almost in 95 per cent of the total paddy fields as of Sunday.

According to the Department of Agriculture under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, paddy plantation has completed in around 1.30 million hectares of land out of the total 1.37 million hectares of paddy fields.

The paddy plantation has been lower by almost 3.5 percentage points this year compared to last year. 

The plantation had been completed in around 98.54 per cent of total paddy fields last year.

According to Director General of Department of Agriculture Prakash Kumar Sanjel, paddy plantation has decreased this year than last year due to lack of timely rainfall across the country.

He said that the paddy plantation has been affected badly, especially in Madhes Province, this year due to long drought.

The paddy plantation has been reduced in around 70,000 hectares of land this year than last year, which shows that the production will decrease this year, he said.

The highest paddy plantation has been recorded in Sudurpashchim Province while the Karnali and Lumbini Province stand second and third respectively in paddy plantation.

According to report, paddy has been planted in almost 99.72 per cent (175,652 hectares) of the total paddy fields in Sudurpashchim Province this year. Paddy is grown in around 176,151 hectares in the Sudurpashchim Province.

Similarly, paddy has been planted in 99.34 per cent (40,770 hectares) in Karnali Province and 98.37 per cent (298,011 hectares) in Lumbini Province. 

The paddy is cultivated in 41,042 hectares in Karnali Province and 302,939 hectares in Lumbini.

The paddy plantation is lowest in Madhes Province. The paddy plantation has been done only in 86.35 per cent (319,626 hectares) of the total paddy cultivation area of 372,645 hectares of land this year.

Due to lack of sufficient rainfall and unanticipated drought in Madhes Province, paddy plantation has been affected badly this year. 

The paddy plantation has been lower by almost 11 percentage points in Madhes Province this year than last year.

The paddy plantation had been done in around 97 per cent of paddy fields in Madhes Province last year.

Likewise, about 97.27 per cent (112,459 hectares) paddy plantation has been completed in Bagmati Province and 97.24 per cent (268,765 hectares) in Koshi Province.

The paddy is cultivated in 115,621 hectares in Bagmati Province and 276,386 hectares in Koshi Province. 

The paddy plantation has been done in 96.63 per cent (91,007 hectares) in Ganadaki Province this year. Paddy is cultivated in around 94,282 hectares of land in the province.

With the decline in planting, it is almost certain that production will be lower this year than last year, Sanjel said.

However, the use of hybrid rice varieties has been increasing in recent years and their productivity is higher than others, which is expected to make up for anticipated loss in production, he said.

Last year, Nepal recorded its highest-ever paddy production, reaching 5.724 million tonnes. 

About 5.486 million tonnes of paddy was produced in the last fiscal year 2022/23, 5.13 million tonnes in 2021/22 and 5.621 million tonnes in 2020/21.