Jumla Farmers Busy with Marshi Rice Cultivation

Jumla. Farmers here have started cultivating Marshi rice for this season. Lakshmi Kumai, a local of Chandannath Municipality, informed that farmers in all eight local levels of the district are busy cultivating Marshi rice. She said that farmers' interest in farming has increased due to the high market demand for Marshi rice in recent times.

Marshi rice is produced only in Jumla. Janamaya Rokaya, Vice-Chairperson of Patarasi Rural Municipality, said that the cultivation of Kali and Red Marshi rice has been completed in Chhumchaur, which is the highest altitude paddy field in the world. The Chandannath-Bhairavnath Guthi Management Committee has informed that Marshi cultivation has been completed in the Shera Jhyulo, which is named after the famous Chandannath and Bhairavnath temples of the district.

Paddy is cultivated in an area of two thousand 888 hectares in the district. Ramabhakta Adhikari, Chief of the Agriculture Development Office, said that Jumli Marshi rice is produced in one thousand 68 hectares of this area.

He informed that about 175 metric tons of Jumli Marshi rice were sold outside the district from November to March, generating an income of Rs 35 million.

Chief Adhikari expressed confidence that the production of Jumli Marshi rice, which has been cultivated traditionally, will be more fruitful if the use of technology is increased. According to him, the Agricultural Research Center has recommended planting Chandannath-1 and 3 varieties of rice in various areas here to prevent pest infections.

Chief Adhikari of the Agriculture Development Office informed that preparations are underway to recommend Marshi-18, 20, and 22 varieties of rice after various studies and research. He said that the center is working with a plan to increase production.