Dhangadi, October 22

Farmers in Kailali and Kanchanpur have been waiting for the government compensation after Garima brand paddy did not yield rice grains.

The government has yet to decide whether compensation will be provided to the farmers.

The farmers are anxiously waiting for the government’s decision. The authority concerned has informed farmers not to harvest paddy until the government comes up with a decision on compensation.

The farmers also looked dejected as they have yet to prepare their fields for mustard and wheat farming. The representatives from Far-west Agriculture Directorate reached the areas to take stock of the situation regarding Garima paddy yield.

Ramesh Chaudhary, a farmer, said the representatives requested farmers not to cut the paddy until the government came up with a decision. “It is getting late for sowing mustard,” he said, adding the decision had to be made soon. The farmers formed a nine-member protest committee led by Basu Dev Guragain at a gathering in Gauriganga Municipality recently.

Director in Far-west Agriculture Directorate Yagya Raj Joshi said the farmers in the districts had been deceived by the Garima brand paddy and that details were sent to the centre. “We have been trying to reach a decision at the earliest,” he said.

Joshi said the seed of Garima brand paddy was produced by Renovo Company in Hyderabad, India. The problem with Garima paddy has been seen from Kanchanpur to Chitwan. He said 968 farmers in Kailali and Kanchanpur planted the Garima brand paddy in 272 hectare land.