President Paudel Stresses Modernizing Agriculture, Ending Land Idleness

Kathmandu. President Ram Chandra Paudel has stated that it is necessary to end the practice of leaving land fallow and modernize agriculture. He said this while extending best wishes for happiness, peace, and prosperity to all farmers on the occasion of the 23rd National Paddy Day and Asar 15. 

President Paudel mentioned that by modernizing agriculture and retaining the manpower forced to migrate abroad within the country, agriculture can be developed as an attractive profession and the import of paddy and rice can be reduced.

Emphasizing the need to focus all attention on becoming self-reliant in paddy production along with the development of a culture of labor, he said, 'Agriculture is not just a profession to sustain life; I now call on everyone to engage in commercial agriculture. I wish that the concerned bodies pay attention to this.' 

He stated that the month of Asar is a specific time for planting a handful and harvesting a mound, and the lifestyle in the Nepali context is very close to nature and the soil. He recalled that the tradition of planting paddy in the fields while playing in the mud and eating curd and beaten rice makes this day even more special.

President Paudel said that it is the need of the hour to make the government, farmers, and stakeholders aware and vigilant to minimize the negative impact of climate change on paddy cultivation and to increase paddy production and productivity as per demand. Discussing that the constitution of Nepal has ensured the right to food for every citizen as a fundamental right, he clarified that the constitution includes policies to provide agricultural materials, fair prices for agricultural produce, and access to markets for farmers. He stated that paddy is Nepal's major food grain, and it holds economic, social, cultural, and religious significance.

Raising the context that Nepal's paddy cultivation depends on rainfall and production decreases in years with poor rainfall, President Paudel said, 'I believe that the entire attention of the state needs to be focused on providing irrigation facilities to paddy-cultivable land.' With the increasing dependence on agriculture, this National Paddy Day has been celebrated every year since 2061 BS with the objective of promoting increased production, modernization, and commercialization of paddy in the country.

This year, the day is being celebrated with the slogan 'Climate-Friendly Technology, Self-Reliance in Paddy, and Prosperity'.