Dhangadi, March 25

Prolonged drought is likely to cause famine in the far western hilly districts.

According to locals, Achham, Baitadi, Bajura, Dadeldhura, Bajhang, Doti and Darchula districts have not received rainfall since August last year.

A majority of farmers in the remote far-western districts depend on rain for cultivation. Hence, most of them could not plant crops. Agro experts said the prolonged drought would hit food production in the area.

“People in the remote far western hilly districts are likely to face an acute food crisis due to the prolonged drought,” warned Tek Bahadur Bista, agro-technician at the Far-western Regional Agriculture Directorate. Crops like wheat, mustard, gram have been grown only in areas near the rivers.

Similarly, food production in far western Tarai districts, including Kailali and Kanchanpur, is likely to witness a sharp decline due to heavy hailstorm in mid-March.

Bharat Bohara, a vegetable farmer in Doti, regretted that they had to incur heavy loss due to the prolonged drought which damaged cereal crops, vegetables and other cash crops.

Seven hilly districts of the region require 5.67 lakh metric tonnes of food per year.

According to the experts, of 3.37 lakh hectares cultivable land in the region, productivity of around 34 per cent land in the mid-hill region has massively diminished in recent years.

According United Nations Food Programme, more than 20 per cent of the land turned barren in the last few years. Keeping in view the looming food crisis in the districts, Nepal Food Corporation has been stocking three times the food it stocked last year, as per Dilli Raj Lamsal, corporation’s regional chief.