Paddy planting reaches 59% across Nepal, likely to hit 98% by mid-August

Kathmandu, July 14

About 59 percent of this season’s paddy planting has been completed across Nepal, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development. As of July 13, rice has been planted on 816,405 hectares, which is around 8 percent less than the same time last year, when planting had reached 67 percent.

Sudurpaschim Province is leading the way, having completed 93 percent of its target, followed by Karnali with 83 percent and Lumbini with 73 percent.

Despite the delay, officials are hopeful. Plantation is still in progress and is expected to reach around 98 percent by mid-August.

Ministry spokesperson Mahananda Joshi highlighted that the Terai region produces about 70 percent of the country’s rice, while the hilly areas contribute the remaining 30 percent.

In the last fiscal year 2080/81 (2023/24), Nepal produced 5.724 million metric tonnes of rice. On average, 1.4 million hectares of land are used for paddy farming each year.

Although weather challenges like floods, droughts, and irregular rainfall often cause delays, the ministry is optimistic that rice production will increase this year due to the use of modern farming technology, better seeds, and improved techniques.

The government expects a total paddy output of 6 million metric tonnes this year, which would result in about 3.5 million metric tonnes of edible rice. Officials note that a 10 percent change in rice production can impact Nepal’s GDP by around 1 percent.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

First National Bamboo Conference Happening Now

KHOTANG, February 28 – The First National Bamboo Conference is currently being held in Diktel Bazaar, running from February 27 to March 1. The event was officially opened at the Khotang Multi-Purpose Covered Hall, and an exhibition showcasing various bamboo products is taking place nearby at the Matikore playground. The event is organized mainly by Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadhi Municipality. Even the welcome gate and stage at the venue are built using bamboo. The exhibition features 51 stalls displaying items made from bamboo, along with local agricultural products. Mayor Tirtha Raj Bhattarai shared that traditional Nepali bamboo swings—lingle ping and rote ping—have been set up for entertainment. Over 300 guests from outside the district are attending the conference. During the event, bamboo experts will present 23 papers under the theme: “Where there is bamboo, there is life; where there is life, there is bamboo.” Other co-organizers include the Forest Research and Training Centre (Bab...
Read more

Gold prices keep going up

  Kathmandu, June 18 — Gold prices have been rising in the international market since June 10, and this has also pushed up prices in Nepal. When the market opened today, the price of gold had gone up by Rs 900 per tola (11.66 grams) compared to Tuesday, while silver rose by Rs 65 per tola. According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, gold is now being traded at Rs 195,500 per tola, and silver at Rs 2,225 per tola. International reports show that gold is currently priced at 3,393 US dollars per ounce in the global market.
Read more

The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial pathway for global oil shipments. If Iran tries to close it, the move could end up hurting Iran itself.

  TEHRAN, JUNE 23 — The ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran has sparked fears that Iran might try to block the Strait of Hormuz—a narrow but crucial waterway through which a huge amount of the world’s oil passes every day. This concern has grown after the U.S. military struck three Iranian sites over the weekend. The Strait of Hormuz lies between Iran and Oman. Iran has a large military presence in the area, including fast attack boats, sea mines, and missiles that could be used to block the strait. Iran’s main naval base is at Bandar Abbas, and it could also fire missiles from its long coastline—similar to how its allies in Yemen (the Houthis) have been targeting ships in the Red Sea. In 2024, about 20 million barrels of oil per day—roughly 20% of global consumption—went through this route, mostly heading to Asian countries like China, India, Japan, and South Korea. Because there aren’t enough pipelines to transport this oil over land, blocking the strait would create a ma...
Read more