Labour shortage slows paddy harvest in southern Morang

By Hari Prasad Koirala,Urlabari, Nov. 20: Farmers in southern Morang are struggling to complete the paddy harvest due to a shortage of agricultural labourers and limited mechanisation. 

Although tractors are now widely used for ploughing, farmers still cannot find enough workers for transplanting and collecting straw, making it difficult to complete all stages of farming on time.Labourers from Ratuwamai, Sunbarshi, Rangeli, Kanepokhari, Dhanpalthan, Jahada and Katahari have left their villages in search of year-round work. 

Many have gone to India for seasonal farm labour, while others have migrated to Gulf countries. As a result, there are too few workers left to help with the paddy harvest.

Because of this shortage, farmers are waiting in long queues for harvester machines. Though many now own tractors, these machines do not solve the problem since they cannot transplant or harvest crops. 

Traditional farm workers from the Santhal, Rishidev, Bantar and Uraw communities have also migrated, worsening the labour gap.

Harvester machines can cut paddy and separate the grain, but they cannot collect straw, an important fodder source for livestock. With no workers available to gather it, many farmers are preparing to burn the straw in their fields before planting mustard.

In Kanepokhari-3, Binod Chaudhary from Chitwan has brought two harvester machines and is moving from one field to another. 

He charges Rs. 7,000 per hour and says farmers are already late to plant mustard because continuous rain until early November left the fields muddy.

Local farmers like Hemchandra Bhandari and Mohan Prasad Pokhrel have been waiting for several days to get their turn. 

Pokhrel said machine harvesting is cheaper and faster than hiring workers, but fears his ripe crop may be damaged if the machine does not arrive soon.

Several other farmers, including Suman Neupane, Kamala Paudel, Lila Karki, Bharat Rajbanshi, Jagdish Rajbanshi, Ritthe Murmu, Tikaram Ojha, Gange Tudu and Sajit Miya, are also in wait. 

Nabin Dahal said he may have to wait at least a week more. “Partial mechanisation has created new problems. Until we have machines for ploughing, planting and harvesting, these delays will continue,” he said.

Bhandari said he bought a harvester for his own five-bigha field, but the operator cannot return to Chitwan because so many farmers in Morang need help. 

Chaudhary estimated that even with two machines operating full-time, it may take another 8–10 days to finish all the fields.  One bigha takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes to harvest, and the machine uses 12 litres of diesel per hour.

In Ratuwamai-5, farmer Lilanath Shrestha said he bought a small harvester for his own field but is now helping neighbours as well. 

“Farmers want to finish harvesting and start planting mustard, but most paddy is still standing,” he said. “Production has increased, but the labour shortage is making farming more difficult,” he said.