Situation Update

Kathmandu, April 11

The devastating windstorm that hit several villages in Bara and Parsa districts last week affected (partially and fully) agricultural crops and livestock worth over Rs 507 million, as per a government report.

Following the devastation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD) had formed a committee to identify the agricultural and livestock loss in the affected areas. The committee submitted its report to Agriculture Minister Chakra Pani Khanal today.

As per the report, the windstorm, which was later identified as tornado, affected cultivated crops (including vegetables and fruits) worth Rs 500 million and livestock worth Rs 7.5 million in the two districts.

While agricultural crops and fruits worth Rs 380 million were affected in Bara, the disaster damaged agricultural crops and fruits worth Rs 118 million in Parsa.

Similarly, the report states that the windstorm affected crops and fruits cultivated on 241 hectares of land in Bara and on 1,727 hectares in Parsa.

The disaster killed 10,494 livestock, including 100 goats, 10,000 poultry, 326 ducks, 10 cows, 30 buffaloes and 24 calves and injured 296 livestock, as per the report.

In the agricultural front, the windstorm primarily damaged wheat, maize, vegetables and lentils in Bara and Parsa.

As it is the harvesting season of wheat in Tarai, the windstorm primarily affected wheat that was ready for harvest. While the disaster affected wheat planted on 2,781 hectares in the two districts, it damaged maize planted on 513 hectares.

Likewise, the windstorm also destroyed vegetables across 323 hectares of land in Bara and Parsa.

Though the windstorm damaged crops across 21 villages in Bara, villages like Suvarna VDC (Parsurampur), Devtaal VDC, Suvarna VDC (Charmohana), Balirampur (Kalaiya) and Pacharauta VDC (Benauli) were among the top five most affected.

The report has suggested the government to support affected farmers in cultivation of rice and vegetables next spring and support farmers in acquiring seeds, fertilisers and other micronutrients.

Similarly, the report has also recommended the government to provide additional subsidy to affected farmers in crop insurance through the provincial government.

The report has urged the government also to begin vaccination programme for livestock along the affected areas in Bara and Parsa.

Vijay Chandra Jha, secretary at the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoL- MAC) of Province 2, said that the government will soon launch various programmes targeted to support the affected farmers.