ROLPA: Starvation looms large in Rolpa district in the wake of a long dry spell, which has badly hit the winter crops. Shortage of food grains is a perennial problem for the people of this hilly district.

The farmers here are not much hopeful about the crop of wheat. “At places the seeds are yet to sprout while at others the crop is dying out,” Anapur Budha of Korchabang VDC-8 said. “It’s certain that this year’s food shortage is going to be more serious than that of previous years.”

Due to the lack of a dependable system of irrigation in many village development committees in the district, the wheat and barley crops bear a grim prospect. The wheat field needs to be irrigated in 22 days of sowing seeds but we failed to do so, farmer Budha said. Snowfall is an option but it did not occur here in plenty this winter.

“We received no rain at all this winter,” farmer Manakali Budha said. The farmers, who depend on agricultural yield for livelihood, are worried due to the lack of rain. “The summer yield was not satisfactory either since it faced storm and diseases,” Belamati Gharti of Korchabang said. “Our granaries are empty and we have no hopes of a replenishing winter yield.” Those who can afford are flocking to local markets to by rice. “Rice is in high demand in the village. Some farmers have been bartering goods for rice,” trader Khal Bahadur Gharti said. “Rice sellers are getting an added number of customers, who often want to barter beans and other goods for rice.”

The District Agriculture Office predicts a huge fall in winter crop yield for this year. Nepal Food Corporation supplies 22 metric tonnes of grains to the district every year.