SANGAM

Inadequate rain hits paddy crop

SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, AUG 17 -
Despite the arrival of monsoon on time, irregular and inadequate rainfalls in some parts of the Tarai have hit paddy plantation this year as well. There has been no plantation in 165,000 hectares of land this season.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC), overall paddy plantation across the country till mid-August remained at 89 percent.

The country’s overall paddy plantation area is 1.553 million hectares.

The MoAC officials, however, maintained that plantation rate has increased by two percent as compared to the same period last year. But paddy plantation in the eastern region has been below target with only 50 percent plantation in some of the tarai districts.

Hari Dahal, spokesperson at the MoAC, said that plantation rate in the eastern region remains at 79 percent this year. Data of the MoAC shows that Siraha has 40 percent paddy plantation while Saptari, Dhanusa and Mahottari have 42 percent, 65 percent and 70 percent plantations respectively. “Lack of rain resulted into low plantation in these regions,” said Dahal.

Plantation rate in these regions hit low due to the underutilization of irrigation canals, according to MoAC. For example, the Western Koshi irrigation project has a capacity to irrigate 5,315 hectares of land. However, only 80 percent of land have paddy plantation so far.

Similarly, only 40 percent plantation has been finished in the area covered by Koshi Pump Irrigation Project. The project has a capacity to irrigate 4,100 hectares of land.

Similarly, only 80 percent of the area covered by the Chandra Nahar has paddy plantation so far. Same is the state of Kamala River Irrigation Project.