Nearly 50 Percent of Paddy Plantation Completed Across Nepal
KATHMANDU:- Nearly half of this year’s paddy plantation has been completed across Nepal, according to the Department of Agriculture.
The Department said paddy has been planted on around 682,000 hectares of land, achieving almost 50 percent of the annual target of cultivating rice on 1.37 million hectares during the current planting season.
Director General Rajendra Koirala said the pace of plantation has slowed compared to the same period last year. By this time in the previous fiscal year, around 60 percent of the target area had been planted, indicating that this year’s progress is about 10 percentage points behind.
Among the provinces, Sudurpaschim has recorded the highest plantation coverage at 87 percent. Gandaki follows with 65.9 percent, while Karnali has achieved 60 percent. Lumbini and Bagmati have completed 59 percent and 57.1 percent of their respective targets.
Paddy plantation remains relatively low in Madhesh and Koshi provinces, where cultivation has reached 32.7 percent and 32 percent, respectively.
Officials expect the plantation rate to accelerate in the coming week as monsoon rainfall has become more widespread across the country. They expressed confidence that the remaining plantation will progress smoothly if there are no major disruptions from floods, landslides, or other natural disasters.
