LAMJUNG: Only 15 per cent of the paddy cultivatable land has been planted with the crop so far due to lack of substantial rain in Lamjung district.

In the district, maize has been planted in 40 per cent of the paddy cultivatable land. The remaining land, however, was yet to be planted due to lack of sufficient irrigation as of June end, according to the District Agriculture Development Office (DADO), Lamjung.

According to DADO, Lamjung has a total of 45,050 hectares of cultivable land, out of which 16,612 hectares of land is used for paddy plantation, with 15,702 hectors for monsoon plantation and 910 hectares is used for March-April plantation. Lamjung produces a total of 50,862 metric tons of rice per annum.

Only 5,000 hectors of land have been provided with irrigation facility in the district.

The farmers close to the river and irrigated areas have been planting paddy while remaining farmers are waiting for the substantial rain to start the plantation, according to Chief DADO Officer Krishna Bhadra Adhikari.

Adhikari further said that as the district has few irrigation projects, only limited land area can be irrigated all year round.