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By Our Reporter

The paddy plantation has been severely affected this year due to a lack of sufficient rainfall, particularly in Madhes.

As of July 27, paddy planting had been completed in only 78 percent of Nepal’s total paddy fields across the country.

According to the Centre for Crop Development and Agro-Biodiversity Conservation under the Department of Agriculture, paddy has been planted in 1,087,148 hectares (78.84 per cent) of the country’s total 1.38 million hectares of paddy fields.

The plantation is lower almost by 14 per cent by July 27 this year compared with the same period last year. The plantation had been completed in around 92.6 per cent of total paddy fields by July 27, 2024.

Surprisingly, the lowest plantation is done in Madhes, the pocket paddy plantation area.       

The highest paddy plantation has been completed in Sudurpashchim Province followed by Lumbini and Karnali Provinces.

 According to the report, paddy has been done almost in 99 per cent (174,286 hectares) of the total paddy fields in Sudurpashchim Province by July 27. Paddy is grown in around 176,151 hectares in the Sudurpashchim Province.

Similarly, paddy has been planted in 92.04 per cent (278,828 hectares) in Lumbini Province and 91.38 per cent (37,505 hectares) in Karnali Province. 

But in Madhes Province, paddy plantation has been done only in 51.82 per cent (193,116 hectares) of the total paddy cultivation area of 372,645 hectares of land.

Likewise, 87.19 per cent (101,606 hectares) paddy plantation has been completed in Bagmati Province and 84.53 per cent (79,613 hectares) in Gandaki Province.

The paddy plantation has been completed in around 80.39 per cent (222,192 hectares) of the paddy fields in Koshi Province.

According to the Centre, paddy plantation progress has decreased in all provinces, except for Lumbini Province during the review period.

Meanwhile, after weeks of parching drought, the skies over Madhes Province finally opened up, bringing much-needed rainfall to drought-stricken regions for a while on Monday.

Districts like Saptari, Sarlahi, Mahottari, and Rautahat received rainfall on Monday afternoon.

In Sarlahi, the rainfall brought a relief, especially to farmers in the eastern plains and Chure belt.

The rainfall extended across multiple areas in Sarlahi, including Haripurwa, Ishwarpur, Chandranagar, Lalbandi, Harion, Bagmati, Haripur, and Kabilasi. These regions, where rain-fed agriculture is the norm due to limited irrigation facilities, saw a rare, welcome shower.

Similarly, northern Mahottari, including Bardibas, was drenched by steady rainfall on Monday.  However, the relief was short-lived as it did not rain Monday night and Tuesday as well.