Farmers Express Concern Over Declining Farmland in Kathmandu Valley

Kathmandu. Farmers have expressed concern over the lack of space for paddy transplantation in the Kathmandu Valley due to increasing urbanization. At the 23rd National Paddy Day and Transplantation Festival organized by Tokha Municipality today in Labu of Ward No. 2, local farmers expressed concern that arable land is decreasing due to increasing urbanization.

Local farmer of Tokha, Kedar Bidari, says that due to increasing population density, arable land is being destroyed not only in Tokha but also in the entire Kathmandu Valley. "The Kathmandu Valley is fertile land for agriculture, but due to increasing urbanization, the arable land here is being destroyed," he says.

National Paddy Day is celebrated every year on Asar 15 to honor the production of paddy and the labor of farmers in Nepal. Sambal Shrestha, another farmer from Tokha, says that agriculture here is disappearing as houses are being built on arable land within Kathmandu in recent times.

His statement is that the fields for paddy transplantation are continuously decreasing in recent years with the expansion of cities, unplanned settlement development, and the conversion of arable land into plots. He states that this directly affects paddy production and adds challenges to food security.

In recent times, paddy cultivation is being affected by the attraction of youth towards foreign employment, lack of irrigation, limited availability of improved seeds and fertilizers, and fragmentation of arable land.

Sumitra Pathak, head of the Tokha Municipality Agriculture Branch, says that there is currently 400 hectares of arable land within Tokha. She states that the municipality is focusing on the development of technologically advanced farming systems to make the Tokha region self-sufficient in agriculture.

Tokha has been providing farmers with fertilizers, seeds, seedlings, etc., at various times. Besides this, Tokha has also encouraged vegetable farming on rooftops to make it self-sufficient in vegetables. She states that Tokha has adopted policies to protect arable land, use modern technology, ensure effective irrigation, and encourage farmers. Tokha celebrates National Paddy Day every year on Asar 15.

Ward chairpersons, representatives, employees, and local farmers from various wards of the municipality participated in the paddy day program. On the same occasion, students from various schools in Tokha were taught how to transplant paddy.

A cultural program was also organized. Arable land currently exists in Wards No. 1, 2, and 3 of Tokha Municipality. Other wards are gradually becoming urbanized.