The best time for paddy transplantation in Nepal is between July 1 and July 31. However, the progress of paddy transplantation in the Terai region, the major paddy production zone of the country, has not been much impressive until the end of July.
Minister for Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperatives, Chakra Pani Khanal, said the rice transplantation in many of the 22 Terai districts has not been completed. He said only 60 percent of the southern flat land has been planted, while the paddy planation in 86 percent of the arable land in other parts of the country has been completed.
According to information officer at the minister, Maniratha Aryal, the paddy transplantation this year can be described as satisfactory in comparison to the previous years. But this status can’t be applied to the Terai districts. Farmers have cultivated other crops instead of paddy due to lack of timely and scanty rains. “Rice transplantation has not been possible in the places lacking irrigation facility,” he said.
Aryal noted that only 50 percent of the total arable land has irrigation facility. The delay in paddy transplantation will also affect wheat cultivation, says paddy expert Bhola Man Singh Basnet
Paddy is a major staple crop in Nepal. Agriculture Ministry data shows that around 70 percent of paddy is grown in Terai districts. “The delay in transplantation will hit the proper fruition of rice, and affect the wheat cultivation,” says Basnet
He further says that the wheat seeds should be sowen by the third week of November but the delay in planting rice on time will have its bearings on the wheat production. “The delay in cultivation of wheat could reduce the production by 40-50 kg per hector,” he said.
The government marked the 15th National Paddy Day on June 29 this year. Even though rice is cultivated in around 1,552,000 hectors of land, there is a growing worry due to the delay in paddy transplantation this season owing to various factors.
The government has set a target to make Nepal self-reliant on rice. As part of the target, the aims to produce 55-56 hundred thousand metric ton rice this year and increase the production to 58 hundred thousand metric tons next year.
