KATHMANDU: Fifty per cent of all farming households in key rural districts lost nearly all of their stored crops of rice, maize, wheat and millet in the recent Nepal earthquakes, according to a report released by UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

The earthquakes also resulted in the death of one in five cattle and more than one in three poultry in these districts in mountain areas, FAO said in its release.

Growing shortages of crop seeds, eggs, milk, meat and vegetables have put families at greater risk of food insecurity, including inadequate nutrition, in the coming months, the report found. The ‘Agricultural Livelihood Impact Appraisal’ was led by FAO, as part of the Nepal Food Security Cluster assessment effort.

The report gives a picture of the impacts on the earthquakes on Nepal’s critical agriculture sector, in the six most-affected districts of Dhading, Dolakha, Gorkha, Nuwakot, Rasuwa and Sindhupalchowk.

The earthquakes struck at the worst possible time for farmers as they were about to plant the staple rice crop, which must be in the ground before the monsoon arrives in a few weeks’ time, the release added.

The report found that almost all households had stored rice and maize from previous years, and half of the households had lost nearly all their stored crops and seeds in the rubble of collapsed buildings, read the release. “Most households said they could no longer source seeds on the market, which may lead to shortages of harvested crops during summer and winter seasons,” the UN body added in its release.

According to estimates, the earthquakes also killed more than 180,000 large animals, 38,000 sheep and goats and more than one million poultry in the six districts. Thousands of animals were injured.

The earthquake also destroyed farming tools, kitchen gardens and supplies of fertiliser, and caused significant damage to small-scale irrigation. A senior technical officer with the FAO emergency and rehabilitation division, Neil Marsland, said the earthquakes were a “rural disaster”.

“Agriculture will be the backbone of Nepal’s recovery, and we must continue our urgent work of helping farmers replant crops, care for planted crops and remaining livestock, and rebuild their livelihood,”  Marsland added.

Without timely assistance, FAO said in its release,  many farmers would be forced off their land — creating a second wave of displaced people.

In order to plant and harvest crops, the UN body said, farmers most urgently need seeds, followed by fertilisers and repairs to the irrigation systems.

According to the release, FAO has already completed emergency distribution of 40,000 bags of rice seed, in time for planting before the monsoon. It has also distributed 20,000 airtight grain storage bags, with 20,000 more to follow, and nearly 20,000 bags of animal feed, and has now begun distributing 50,000 packets of mixed vegetable seeds.

In the next few months, FAO will distribute more of these farming inputs, as well as wheat seed and mineral blocks for surviving livestock.

An FAO assessment of forest damage in the six most affected districts, using high-resolution satellite imagery, found that up to 118km of forest may have been damaged.

As part of the revised UN Flash Appeal, FAO now estimates that $23.4 million are required immediately for emergency assistance to help around one million people in 220,000 affected farm households.