Paddy plantation completed on 38.6 percent of rice field

KATHMANDU, July 8: Paddy plantation has been completed on 38.6 percent of rice fields as of Sunday, along with the rainfall in the past few days throughout the country.

The records with the Department of Agriculture show that paddy plantation has been completed in 539,766 hectares of land area out of a total paddy plantation area of 1,398,273 hectares across the country. In the same period last year, plantation on 42.9 percent of the rice fields was completed.

Tilak Raj Chaulagain, information officer of the department, said Sudurpashchim Province has witnessed the highest of 54.2 percent of the paddy plantation. Madhesh Province has the least of 25.5 percent of the plantation.

Gandaki Province with 49.7 percent is second in plantation, followed by Karnali Province with 47.5 percent, Lumbini Province with 44.4 percent, Koshi Province with 34.4 percent and Bagmati Province has achieved 40.2 percent of plantation.  

Of the total paddy production land area, Madhesh Province has the largest of 383,150 hectares. Karnali Province has the least of 41,904 hectares of the land suitable for paddy production.

The country produces an average of 5.7 million tons of paddy annually against the total demand of 6.2 million tons. The paddy production this season is expected to remain around the national average yield.

Paddy plantation is done mainly after the onset of the monsoon, which entered the country this year on June 10. The monsoon rains are expected to last until September end.