CHITWAN, JUNE 29: The production of spring paddy has been increasing in Chitwan due to mechanization, quality seeds, management of farmers and awareness. According to the Agriculture Knowledge Center, Chitwan, the production of spring paddy has increased by 20 percent in the last four years.

“In 2020, spring paddy production was 3.23 metric tons per hectare. This year it is 5.27 percent,” said Yubraj Pandey, the head of Agriculture Knowledge Center Chitwan. According to him, the Agriculture Knowledge Center in Chitwan has been distributing quality seeds. This year only, the center has sanctioned Rs 25 million for paddy cultivation.

Although the productivity of spring paddy has been increasing in Chitwan, the area of plantation has been decreasing. Pandey said that the total area of spring paddy plantation has decreased by 57 hectares in the past four years. “In 2017, paddy was cultivated in 7,527 hectares of land, but at present, it is only in 7,470 hectares,” he said. Chitwan is self-reliant in paddy. It also exports seeds to other areas.

Farmers of Chitwan have started planting the Chaite-5 variety of spring paddy. It has been selected as an alternative to Hardinath-1 after a disease was seen in the latter variety. Dhan Bahadur Thapa, head of the project implementation unit of the Prime Minister's Agriculture Modernization Project, Chitwan, said that the cultivation of Hardinath Hybrid 1, which was developed in Nepal, has also started. He said that the cultivation of non-listed food crops is being discouraged.

Paddy is being cultivated in 30,500 hectares of land in Chitwan during the rainy season. So far, paddy has been transplanted on 25 percent of cultivable landin the district. A total of 130 varieties of paddy including Savitri, Sawa Mansuli Sawa 1, Swarna Sawa 1, Ramdhan, Hardinath 1, Hardinath 3, Chaite 5, Bahuguni, 1, Bahuguni 2 will be planted.

Paddy sowing through machines has been on the rise in Chitwan. Sowing from machines started nine years ago in Chitwan, now there are nine machines in Chitwan. The project has said that the farmers of Chitwan are working toward mechanization for planting paddy. Out of the land in the district, 17 percent or 33,836 hectares of land is being cultivated. Paddy is cultivated in most of the land in Chitwan. According to the Agriculture Knowledge Center, 73 percent of the cultivable land is irrigated throughout the year.

 
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