As of mid-August, paddy plantation has been completed on 94.15 percent of rice fields across Nepal, down from 98.44 percent during the same period last Fiscal Year (FY).
The decline is largely attributed to a prolonged drought in the Terai and erratic rainfall in various parts of the country, according to the Department of Agriculture (DoA).
Sudurpaschim Province recorded the highest plantation rate at 99.72 percent, while Madhesh Province lagged behind at 86.35 percent. The slow progress in Madhesh was due to the delayed monsoon, which led the government to declare the province a disaster-affected zone after severe water shortages for drinking, irrigation, and agriculture until late July.
“The plantation ratio could increase slightly as the monsoon usually lasts until the end of August,” said Prakash Sanjel, Director General of the DoA.
Other provinces also reported strong progress:
- Karnali Province: 99.34%
- Lumbini Province: 98.07%
- Bagmati Province: 97.27%
- Gandaki Province: 94.83%
- Koshi Province: 94.42%
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, paddy is cultivated on 1.4 million hectares nationwide. So far, plantation has been completed on around 1.3 million hectares.
The Terai region, which supplies about 70% of Nepal’s rice, is considered the most suitable for high-yield production. In FY 2023/24, the country produced 5.72 million tons of paddy, with production expected to reach six million tons this year, yielding about 3.5 million tons of rice.
