KATHMANDU, Dec 8:Farmers of Madhesh Province produced around 15 percent more paddy in the Fiscal Year 2024/25 as compared to the preceding fiscal year.
The farmers produced 1.5 million metric tons of paddy in the current fiscal year, up from around 1.2 million metric tons of paddy produced in the province in the last fiscal year.
Paddy plantation completed in 94.2 percent of rice fields
Senior Agricultural Extension Officer Roshan Kumar Mehta said that the province produced 205,251 metric tons more paddy in the current fiscal year compared to the last fiscal year. He claimed that the production increased because of timely rain during and after the sowing period, and availability of fertilizer and seeds on time. He added that paddy was cultivated on an additional 5,200 hectares of land this year compared to last year.
Last year, around 3.50 metric tons of rice were produced per hectare, while in the current fiscal year, four metric tons per hectare have been produced. The highest amount of paddy was produced in Saptari district and the lowest was in Rautahat district. Saptari contributed 261,120 metric tons of paddy to the total production, followed by Siraha (209,520 metric tons), Parsa (184,749 metric tons), Sarlahi (182,160 metric tons), Bara (180,300 metric tons), Mahottari (167,770 metric tons), Dhanusha (166,260 metric tons) and Rautahat (150,480 metric tons).
Meanwhile, the Food Management and Trading Company Limited has said that the paddy procurement process has begun.