Chitwan to see 30 percent drop in paddy production

CHITWAN, Aug 22: Officials have estimated a decline of 30 percent in paddy production in Chitwan this season, as plantation has been recorded in only 35 percent of total paddy fields so far. Due to long spell of drought and insufficient rainfall, farmers have not been able to sow paddy though the plantation season is already over. [break]



Laxman Paudel, an officer at the District Agriculture Development Office (DADO), said paddy saplings are drying up in nurseries and fields because of the lack of sufficient rainfall and absence of irrigation facilities.



"I have no idea what will happen if we fail to sow paddy in time. I don´t know how we will feed ourselves," said Bhumiraj Thapa, a farmer from Shukranagar in western Chitwan.



Chitwan, a leading paddy producing district, has 33,770 hectares of paddy field. With less and delayed plantation, the production of paddy is all set to go down by 30-40 percent in the district, according to the officials. According to a recent study conducted by the DADO, the district, which used to see surplus in paddy production, is likely to face worse food deficit.

Related story

Production of spring paddy up by 20 percent in Chitwan