Navalparasi Reports 80% Paddy Plantation Completion

Nawalparasi. In Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta East), 80 percent paddy plantation has been completed so far this year. Out of the total 18,500 hectares of land cultivated for paddy in the district, about 14,800 hectares of plantation has been completed, informed Sanjay Dhakal, Agricultural Economist at the Nawalpur Agricultural Knowledge Center. According to him, due to continuous rainfall, plantation has intensified in most parts of the Terai region, while in some areas of the hilly terrain, plantation is still ongoing. He said that plantation has reached the final stage in most areas of Gaidakot, Devchuli, Kawasoti and Madhyabindu municipalities and Hupsekot rural municipality, while plantation is still happening in some places of Binayi Triveni, Bulingtar and Baudikali rural municipalities. "Although the monsoon was a bit weak at the beginning, due to sufficient rainfall in recent days, farmers are actively planting," he said, "If the weather is favorable, we expect plantation to be completed in most areas within the next few days." According to the Agricultural Knowledge Center, out of the district's total 61,300 hectares of arable land, only about 55 percent area has irrigation facilities, while the remaining 45 percent area still depends on rainwater. In areas without irrigation facilities, farmers have to plant based on rainfall, so the pace of plantation is directly linked to the weather. Mansuli, Savitri, Anadi, Jhinua and various hybrid varieties of paddy are cultivated in the district. Agricultural economist Dhakal said that the average productivity of paddy in the district is about three tons per hectare. In the last financial year 2082-83, paddy was cultivated in about 18,600 hectares of land in the district. The Agricultural Knowledge Center has stated that the area for paddy cultivation has been set at 18,500 hectares this year. According to agricultural technicians, if the weather remains favorable in the coming days, it is expected that plantation will be completed in all targeted areas this year as well.