Kathmandu: The government has announced ‘Intensity in Rice Cultivation: Food Security and Self-reliance’ as the slogan for this year’s National Paddy Day. This initiative aims to enhance rice production to ensure food security. The Department of Agriculture is planning several programs on the occasion of the 22nd National Paddy Day and Paddy Plantation Festival, set to be observed on June 29. The focus will be on climate-resilient technologies and increasing rice yields.
According to National News Agency Nepal, an interaction program with experts on indigenous crop protection, technology promotion, and climate change mitigation is scheduled to be held at Khumaltar. The event will also include a paddy planting festival and a ceremony to honor farmers.
Director General of the Department of Agriculture, Prakash Sanjel, highlighted plans to boost rice production and productivity, along with raising awareness among farmers about food security. Rice, being Nepal’s staple crop, plays a crucial role in economic development and is intertwined with the nation’s social, cultural, and religious traditions.
Director General Sanjel emphasized that the National Paddy Day and Transplanting Festival have been celebrated annually since June 29, 2004, to promote modernization and commercialization of paddy production. In the fiscal year 2023-24, rice production reached 5,724,234 metric tonnes, increasing to 5,955,476 metric tonnes in 2024-25, despite a reduction in the area of cultivation.
Mahananda Joshi, an information officer at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, noted that the increase in rice production is attributed to the use of chemical fertilizers, improved seed varieties, and timely rainfall.