GAUSHALA: Rice plantation in Mahottari has been delayed this year due to prolonged drought. Though the first week of Jestha was already over, farmers were still waiting for rainfall to sow rice seeds. Rice is the main crop of the district, but many farmers depend on rainfall for its farming as there is no sufficient irrigation facility in the district. “Our fields have remained unploughed, as the district has not seen any rainfall for the last nine months,” locals said. According to the District Agricultural Office, this year the rice production may fall by at least 30-40 per cent due to lack of timely rainfall. According to farmers in the district, of the total fertile land in Mahottari only 20,601 hectares of land has been provided irrigation facility. Majority of farmers in the district are forced to depend on rainfall.