Nationwide Paddy Plantation Pace Slows Compared to Last Year

Kathmandu. This year, the pace of paddy plantation across the country appears to be somewhat slower compared to last year. As of Ashad 26 of the current fiscal year 2083, only 45.81 percent of the total cultivable land for paddy plantation has been completed nationwide.

According to the provincial-level plantation summary details released by the Department of Agriculture, nationwide plantation had reached 59.28 percent by the same period last year. The department's data shows that plantation this year is about 13.5 percent less compared to last year.

According to the Department of Agriculture, paddy is cultivated on a total of 13,70,062 hectares of land in Nepal. Out of this, plantation has been completed on only 6,27,566 hectares of land as of Ashad 26. Looking at the provincial level, Gandaki Province has seen the highest plantation this year, while Kosi Province has seen the lowest, as mentioned in the report of the Department of Agriculture.

In Gandaki Province, 65.9 percent of the area has been planted. The department's data mentions that out of a total of 93,606 hectares, 61,727 hectares have been planted. Similarly, in Lumbini Province, 59.6 percent, i.e., 1,79,631 hectares, and in Sudurpashchim Province, 57.9 percent, i.e., 89,742 hectares, have been planted. The department has stated that the data for Sudurpashchim only includes up to Ashad 19.

Similarly, in Bagmati Province, 57.1 percent, i.e., 65,446 hectares, have been planted, and in Karnali Province, 40.5 percent, i.e., 17,549 hectares, have been planted. In Madhesh and Kosi provinces, considered the main granaries for paddy, the pace of plantation has been quite slow this year. In Madhesh Province, out of a total of 3,85,133 hectares of paddy cultivation land, only 32.8 percent, i.e., 1,26,439 hectares, have been planted.

Similarly, in Kosi Province, only 31.5 percent of the area has been planted. The department has stated that out of 2,76,387 hectares of cultivable land in Kosi, only 87,033 hectares have been planted.

According to the data from the Department of Agriculture, the percentage of plantation has decreased in most provinces this year compared to last year. Last year, 93.10 percent of plantation had been completed in Sudurpashchim by this period, whereas this year only 57.9 percent has been completed. Similarly, while 83.23 percent of plantation was completed in Karnali last year, only 40.5 percent has been completed this year. The department's data also indicates that while 76.31 percent of plantation was completed in Bagmati last year, only 57.1 percent has been completed this year.