Editorial»
Monsoon tidings
APR 21 -
The latest forecasts of the South Asian Climate Outlook Forum (SASCOF) must come as music to the ears of Nepali farmers. Regional meteorologists, gathered in the Indian city of Pune from April 13-15, have predicted above average rainfall for Nepal this monsoon. In 2009, Nepal had less than 800 mm of rainfall, well below the normal 1,540 mm, which made it the driest monsoon in a decade. Green produce nosedived and with it, the country’s overall economy with agriculture contributing as much as 36 percent to Nepal’s GDP, by far the biggest of any sector. The pain of the dry spell was acutely felt as most farmers still rely on the heavens to irrigate their fields. Officially, over 60 percent of arable land in Nepal is equipped with irrigation facilities. But most farmers do not get the needed amount of water from the irrigation projects in place. The remaining 40 percent are even more reliant on monsoon rain.
As the monsoon accounts for 80 percent of the total annual rainfall in the country, farmers rely on it disproportionately to water their major summer crops like paddy, maize, edible oil and pulses. But good monsoon and bumper harvests — or a bad one and dismal productivity — can prove telling not just for the rain-dependent farmers. As crop yields went down by an average of 30-35 percent last year, food prices went up precipitously, and along with them, overall inflation, which galloped to double digits.
Nepalis will have their fingers crossed for the SASCOF’s predictions to come true. But even if the country receives better than expected rainfall this year, that will bring only a brief respite. The rains might be plentiful this year; they might be scant the next. Thus the importance of weaning farmers away from their dependence on rainwater cannot be overstated. And some viable methods of doing so are already being practiced in Nepal, although not on the desired scale. For instance, drip irrigation has been a big success wherever it has been practiced. Concentrated on vegetable products, drip irrigation has boosted farmer household incomes by up to two fold and made it easy for women to irrigate their fields, which is otherwise backbreaking work. Unsurprisingly, more than a few feminists have given two thumbs up for drip and sprinkle irrigation methods, which conserve not just time and effort of all those involved, but also makes the job of women — 90 percent of Nepali women are engaged in agriculture — much easier. There is also a perception among some impoverished farming communities, not unjustifiable in our view, that traditional flood irrigation disproportionately benefits farmers in regions where water can be collected easily as compared to some of the hilly regions where it’s hard to pool water. Heaven’s floodgates opening up occasionally is certainly welcomed. But what the country needs more is a steady, reliable and adequate supply of water — with or without some help from above.
Posted on: 2010-04-22 08:24
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