Paddy transplantation has reached just 32.38 percent nationwide, down from 45 percent at the same time last year, as delayed monsoon rains linked to changing weather patterns disrupt the planting season.
KATHMANDU, JULY 7
Paddy transplantation across Nepal has fallen by 12.62 percentage points compared to the same period last year, raising concerns over this year's rice production, particularly in the country's main grain-producing belt.
According to the Department of Agriculture, paddy has been transplanted on 443,595 hectares of land as of Monday, accounting for 32.38 percent of the country's more than 1.3 million hectares of cultivable paddy fields. During the corresponding period last year, transplantation had reached 45 percent.
Sudurpashchim Province has recorded the highest plantation progress at 57.9 percent, followed by Gandaki (41 percent), Karnali (40.5 percent), Lumbini (37.3 percent), Bagmati (33.2 percent), Koshi (31.5 percent) and Madhesh (15 percent).
Director General of the Department of Agriculture Prakash Kumar Sanjel attributed the slowdown to the delayed onset and uneven spread of the monsoon, saying changing climate patterns had disrupted the planting schedule. He expressed confidence that transplantation would accelerate once rainfall becomes widespread.
The situation is most concerning in Madhesh Province, Nepal's largest rice-producing region, where only about 15.6 percent of paddy fields have been planted so far. The province contributes nearly 70 percent of the country's total rice output, while the hill region accounts for the remaining 30 percent.
Agriculture experts warn that if monsoon rains do not improve soon, delayed plantation could affect overall paddy production this year.
(With inputs from RSS)