SANGAM

Corn farmers in Tarai to be provided relief

SANGAM PRASAIN

KATHMANDU, MAR 24 - The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is preparing a relief package for the farmers of five Tarai districts whose maize crops yielded no corns.

Farmers in Bara, Rautahat, Sarlahi, Parsa and Nawalparasi had been implementing a hybrid maize mission programme for the last three years under which genetically modified maize had been grown to produce higher yields. However, this year, the plants produced no kernels.

"We will be proposing the relief programme to the cabinet on Wednesday," said Hari Dahal, spokesperson at the Agriculture Ministry.

The sufferers will be provided cash through the District Disaster Rescue Committee. They will also get free spring vegetable seeds which cost Rs. 100 per packet. About 250,000 seed packets will be distributed under the relief programme.

"We will also propose that the land taxes of the farmers be waived for a year," added Dahal. Productivity had increased to 8.6 tons per hectare from 2.2 tons in the five districts following implementation of the hybrid maize mission programme. However, output plunged by 53 percent this year.

Production dropped by 80 percent in Bara, 55 percent in Rautahat, 40 percent in Sarlahi, 70 percent in Parsa and 20 percent in Nawalparasi.

After conducting soil and other tests, technicians concluded that the long cold wave witnessed in these districts was the major reason behind the plants bearing no seeds. The cold prevented formation of pollen grains rendering the plants sterile, they said.

Five Indian multinational companies had distributed the transgenic maize seeds to the farmers at government subsidized rates. Dahal said that similar problems had been seen in parts of India.

The ministry is coordinating with the Nepal Agricultural Research Council to look into the problem. Experts from the International Wheat and Maize Research Centre in Mexico are to be invited to conduct studies.