CHITWAN, MARCH 15 Mustard production has declined in Chitwan District this year, with both output and productivity per hectare falling compared to last year, according to the Agricultural Development Office Chitwan. Agricultural economist Nirmal Poudel said productivity dropped to 1.01 metric tons per hectare this year, down from 1.31 metric tons per hectare last year. Total production also fell from 18,565 metric tons last year to 14,315 metric tons this year, although mustard is currently cultivated on 14,173 hectares of land in the district. Officials attribute the decline mainly to unseasonal rainfall, which forced many farmers to replant mustard seedlings, as well as fog and frost during the flowering stage, which affected crop growth. Chitwan is considered one of the country's major mustard-producing districts, and the number of farmers involved in mustard farming has increased in recent years. (With inputs from RSS)