KATHMANDU, JULY 31

As of July 28, the rice transplantation rate across the country stands at 77 percent, according to the Agriculture Information and Training Center.

Center Chief Prakash Kumar Sanjel said 90 percent of rice cultivation had already been completed in the corresponding period last year.

Paddy has been planted in a total area of 1,053,404 hectares out of 1,357,816 hectares across the country as of the last week of July.

In the Koshi Province, 84 percent of the rice cultivation has been carried out compared to 88 percent during the same period last year. Rice transplantation takes place on 275,133 hectares of land in the Province and this time it has been done so far on 231,112 hectares.

Likewise, in Madhes, rice has been cultivated in 209,086 hectares, accounting for 59 percent of the total 354,383 arable land. Last year, by the fourth week of July, this figure was at 83 percent.

In the Bagmati Province, the rice cultivation rate currently stands at 72 percent, while it was at 93 percent during same period last year. The province has reported rice transplantation on 81,420 hectares out of the total 113,083 hectares of land that is allotted for rice cultivation.

In Gandaki province, out of the total 104,622 hectares of arable land, paddy transplantation has taken place in 85,790 so far (82 percent), a drop from 96 percent during the same period last year.

Lumbini has seen paddy cultivation in 243,318 of the total 300,392 hectares (81 percent), a decrease from 85 percent last year.

In Karnali, paddy transplantation has occurred in 32,918 of the total 38,727 hectares (85 percent), an increase from 78 percent last year. In Sudurpaschim, paddy plantation has been complete in 169,761 of a total of 171,476 (99 percent).

The same percentage of paddy cultivation took place during the same period last year, according to the Centre.