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Rain pain in mid-west
NEPALGUNJ, JUL 14 -
Paddy fields are still parched in many parts of Mid-West Nepal even though monsoon has started to advance in other parts of the country. The clouds scudding and disappearing in a jiffy have been belying hopes of many farmers.
Scanty rainfall has hit hard paddy plantation in various mid-western districts this year. A large area of farmland in Banke and Bardiya districts, major food baskets of the region, are still awaiting good rainfall. An official of Agriculture Development Office, Banke, said paddy seedlings is yet to be sowed in more than 80 percent of the land in the district. “It’s all due to scanty rainfall,” said Kamalkanta Jha of the agriculture office. He said paddy production could slump if the district fails to receive good rainfall within the next few days.
In Bardiya, sowing is complete only in the areas lying close to Babai Irrigation Project. Farmers in eastern and western parts of the district are still waiting for rain.
Of the 38,000 hectares of cultivable land in Dang, paddy plantation has been completed in only 15,000 hectares. In Surkhet, paddy plantation has taken place in only 25 percent of the land, the district’s agriculture office said. Many farmers in other mid-western districts, including Jajarkot, Rukum, Salyan and Mugu, are also hit by scanty rainfall.
Posted on: 2010-07-15 08:36
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