Paddy plantation area coverage increases

Kathmandu, July 19

Paddy plantation coverage has gone up this year due to timely monsoon. According to the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MoAD), paddy plantation has been carried out on 68 per cent of the 1.43 million hectares of paddy cultivation area as of Monday.

In the corresponding period last year, less than 50 per cent of the area had been cultivated as late monsoon and drought dampened paddy plantation back then.

The country is largely dependent on the monsoon for paddy plantation because only 25 per cent of the total paddy plantation area has irrigation facility. The MoAD has said that the output of paddy will grow substantially in this year if the monsoon is normal till mid-September.

Paddy plantation has been carried out on 66 per cent of the total cultivation area of 984,339 hectares in Tarai — the rice bowl of the country. The Tarai area covers 70 per cent of the production area and an equal amount in terms of rice production.

Paddy plantation has been completed on 76 per cent of the total paddy fields of 382,569 hectares in the mid-hills and 69 per cent of 58,438 hectares in high-hills, according to MoAD.

Paddy plantation in high-hills is only carried out till mid-July. In mid-hills, paddy is cultivated till July-end and in the Tarai till mid-August.