Kathmandu, August 7:

Minister for Agriculture and Co-operative, Badri Prasad Mandal, today said the ministry has urged regional administrators and zonal administrators to provide necessary assistance to low-rainfall areas.

At a press conference, Mandal said the government was “serious” about supporting the famers who are poised to face a hard time as they failed to plant rice on time because of low rainfall this year.

He added that rice could be planted on only 50 percent of the agricultural land in the country.

The minister has also requested the Ministry of Water Resources to activate irrigation systems in areas where rainfall is low. The ministry of Commerce and Supply was also requested to provide diesel to the areas where electricity is not available so that farmer scan operate water pumps.

District Agriculture Development Offices have been directed to rope in the farmers and run temporary dams for irrigation.

“Maize seed has been supplied to all district areas where demands were made. We dispatched maize seed to Siraha and Dhanusha districts,” he said.