Drought pushes banana farmers into crisis

By Jyoti Panthi, Babai, Bardiya, May 29: Banana farmers in the Tarai districts, including Bardiya District, are facing growing difficulties due to prolonged drought conditions.

With no rainfall for nearly a month, banana plants in the fields have started drying up, raising concerns over declining production this season.

Farmers said that the lack of adequate water has affected the growth of banana plants, while the fruits themselves have become smaller in size. Banana cultivation, especially during the summer season, requires a large amount of water, and the ongoing drought has directly affected production.

Shambhu Adhikari, a farmer from Sangam Tole in Gulariya Municipality-4, said the banana bunches had become smaller due to delayed rainfall.

According to him, bananas produced during the months of July/August (Shrawan) and August/August (Bhadau) usually receive enough rainwater and grow larger, but this year’s drought has affected the crop.

“Even though we are irrigating with electric pumps, it has not been enough to compensate for the lack of rainfall,” he said.

Similarly, Kamal Gyawali, a farmer from Kotahi Tole in the same municipality, said farmers were suffering financial losses due to declining production caused by drought. “We are putting in the same effort, but the weather has not supported us this year,” he said.

Firtuman Chaudhary, information officer at the Integrated Agriculture and Livestock Development Office Bardiya, said banana production in the district is likely to decline this year because of water shortages.

According to the office, banana farming is carried out on around 612 hectares of land in the district, producing approximately 11,000 metric tonnes annually.

In recent years, farmers in Bardiya have increasingly turned towards commercial banana farming. With rapid expansion of banana cultivation, especially in Gulariya Municipality, the government has declared the area a “banana zone” and launched related agricultural programmes.

Bananas produced in Bardiya are sold in markets across the district as well as neighbouring districts including Banke. However, farmers are worried that this year’s drought could significantly reduce production and income.