As a result, paddy plantation has been done in less than 10 percent of paddy fields in Dhanusha. According to District Agriculture Development Office (DADO), Dhanusha, more than 75 percent of paddy fields lack irrigation facilities and hence depend on monsoon."Paddy farming is done in 65,000 hectares in Dhanusha. But plantation has been done in only 600 hectares until Friday," Yugal Kishore Tiwari, chief of DADO Dhanusha, told Republica. "If Dhanusha does not receive adequate rainfall within a week, it will hamper paddy production."
Tiwari said that Kamala Irrigation Project, which can irrigate 15,000 hectares of land in the district, has not supplied water until Friday. "As a result, farmers have to depend on pumping and deep-boring," added Tiwari.
Though Dhanusha received heavy rainfall last Wednesday, the weather has remained fair thereafter.
Nawal Kishore Yadav, chief of National Rice Research Program, said the rate of paddy plantation in the district has already hinted that paddy production will fall this season. "Plantation should have been completed in 50 percent of paddy fields by now," he added.
Meanwhile, local farmers are looking for alternatives to paddy. Many farmers have been attracted toward mango farming latterly. Some have started commercial fisheries. According to Fisheries Development Program under DADO, farmers have dug fishery ponds in 45 hectares this year.
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