Kathmandu: The country recorded 72 percent of paddy seedlings plantation till the third week of July, which is 12 percentage points less compared to the same period of the last year. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development reported that paddy plantation is currently conducted on approximately 1 million hectares of land.
According to National News Agency Nepal, reports collected by the ministry on Sunday indicate that paddy plantation is ongoing in several parts of the country. Ministry’s Information Officer Mahananda Joshi explained that paddy is typically cultivated on about 1.4 million hectares of land nationwide.
Among the provinces, Sudurpaschim leads with 97 percent of its target already completed, covering around 171,000 hectares of land. In Lumbini and Karnali provinces, paddy plantation is completed at an equal rate of 88 percent of the target, according to Joshi. The ministry estimates that the paddy plantation will reach 98 percent of the target by mid-August.
Spokesperson Joshi noted that the Tarai region is the most fertile, producing about 70 percent of the country’s total paddy, while the hilly regions contribute the remaining 30 percent. During the previous Fiscal Year (FY) 2023/24, the country witnessed a total rice production of 5.724 million metric tonnes. Unfavorable weather conditions, natural disasters, excessive rainfall, and droughts have created challenges for paddy plantation, affecting the plantation schedule in some areas.
According to the ministry, a 10 percent change in rice production can lead to about a 1 percent change in the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This year, it is estimated that 6 million metric tonnes of rice will be produced, yielding approximately 3.5 million metric tons of edible rice.