Damauli, September 2

At a time when the monsoon season seems to be almost over, a large swathe of arable land in Tanahun is still uncultivated.

According to Tanahun Agriculture Knowledge Centre, large plots of farmland are still uncultivated in the district for want of rain.

“Of course we had rainfall but it wasn’t enough,” said the centre’s Information Officer Mohan Prakash Shrestha. “Only land near the rivers and rivulets have been cultivated; farmlands in the hinterlands remain fallow,” he added.

Farmer Rajendra Prasad Panthi of Sherabeshi in Shukla Gandaki Municipality-1 said paddy cultivation could not take place in his village this year due to the lack of rainfall. “There is around 200 ropani land that is fallow in my village,” he said. Panthi also lamented the lack of irrigation facility in his village.

Similarly, paddy cultivation is yet to happen in places such as Jyamire Kot and Sundari Gaun villages. “The paddy seedlings had matured in the nursery, but as  there was no rainfall it seems that we will not get the chance to cultivate our land this time,” said Uma Panthi of Jyamire Kot.

Shuklagandaki Municipality Agriculture Section Chief Nawaraj Pandit predicted a decline in paddy production in the municipality this time.

“Against the stipulation of 95 per cent, only 84 per cent of paddy cultivation was possible till date due to lack of rainfall, which is sure to affect production this season,” said Pandit.

Among others, Dhorphirdi, Sherabeshi, Jamdi and Sanke are considered pocket areas for paddy cultivation in the municipality, according to the agriculture section.

“We have some 6,000 hectare land where paddy can be cultivated in the municipality, but out of this only 550 hectare land has irrigation facility; around 1,500 hectare is still uncultivated in the municipality due to lack of rainfall,” Pandit said.

Further, according to Pandit, farmers who own uncultivated land have been urged to cultivate alternative crops in the fields.