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Nepal set to enjoy huge paddy output
KATHMANDU, OCT 21 - Latest government statistics project a sharp increase in national paddy production this year. The production level of the staple crop is expected to touch an all time high and set a new record.
Conducive climate, timely rainfall and maximum utilisation of irrigation facilities in some parts of the country has led towards the optimistic paddy production estimates, said Shiva Sundar Shrestha, Director General of Department of Agriculture (DoA).
Talking to The Kathmandu Post, Shrestha said that the country will witness an increment in production paddy by as high as 7 percent against the last year’s production, touching a remarkable figure of over 4.37 million metric tons.
"Our preliminary statistics clearly indicated towards a robust increment in paddy production this season," said Shrestha. "Even under the worst case, the production would be over by 5 percent than that of last year."
Significant increments in production levels are likely to take place especially in the eastern Terai districts. According to senior government agro-statistician Uttam Narayan Malla, "The entire Terai districts except Sunsari would enjoy increased paddy production this season." Sunsari witnessed heavier rainfall, which is likely to adversely impact the output.
The forecast for an optimistic paddy production follows the declined production of food items during the previous fiscal year. The statistics compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives (MoAC) states that the country saw declined output of only 4.16 million metric tons as a result of drought that badly affected the western agro-region.
Agro experts, however, are of view that despite the increased paddy production, Nepali farmers would not be able to exact reasonable price for their output. And their fear stand on the base that the country would witness a massive inflow of cheap rice from southern neighbour, India, which provides subsidy to their farmers.
"It is hard for Nepali farmers to compete with the cheap Indian produce that enters the country in massive quantities through the porous border. And this huge unwanted flow of cheap Indian rice, in turn will force the ‘real’ price of Nepali output to slip downwards," experts assert.
A senior official at the MoAC, however, said that the government has been seriously working to ensure that Nepali farmers do not lose the deserved price for their output as a result of heavy influx of cheap Indian produce.
Nepali farmers might not have to face similar problems now. "The government has started its work to export domestic paddy to other countries, so that our farmers get a reasonable price for their products," he added. One potential market is China.
The country’s agriculture sector always has been a major contributor to the national economy sharing around 39 percent of the national gross domestic product (GDP).
But many experts fear that the country might have to face disaster in the agro-sector if the government continues to show its laxity in upgrading the farming technology at a time when Nepal’s accession to WTO is confirmed. Many independent reports suggest that Nepal’s agro-sector has failed to justify its potential mainly due to the failure in introducing newer technologies.Posted on: 2003-10-21 12:03
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