KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 9

Unseasonal rainfall in October has caused agricultural losses worth over Rs 2.5 billion in Koshi Province, according to the Agriculture Development Directorate in Biratnagar.

Continuous rain during the third week of October damaged paddy and vegetable crops across several districts. 'Around 12,400 hectares of paddy and 200 hectares of vegetable crops were affected,' said Purnamaya Gurung, Information Officer at the Directorate.

The worst-hit districts were Morang, which suffered losses of Rs 781 million, and Sunsari, with damage worth Rs 453 million. The rainfall also destroyed 2,000 metric tonnes of vegetables worth around Rs 40 million across Sunsari.

In total, paddy grown on 268,765 hectares of land across the province was affected, with significant losses reported from Jhapa, Udayapur, Ilam, Panchthar, Taplejung, Dhankuta, Tehrathum, Bhojpur, Khotang, Okhaldhunga, Solukhumbu, and Sankhuwasabha districts.

(With inputs from RSS)