Widespread Paddy Plantation in Hills and Western Tarai, While Eastern Tarai Suffers Drought

Despite being in the middle of monsoon season, the eastern Tarai region of Nepal has received little to no rainfall, severely affecting paddy plantation activities. With inadequate irrigation facilities and complete reliance on rainwater, farmers are facing uncertainty. As of the first week of Saun (mid-July), 27.86% of paddy-suitable land is yet to be planted.

Out of the total 2.525 million hectares of cultivated land in Nepal, the Center for Crop Development and Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation (CCDABC) has reported that 1.38 million hectares are suitable for monsoon paddy this year. However, as of Saun 4 (July 19), only 998,228 hectares have been planted—leaving 385,504 hectares, or 27.86%, still untouched. This marks a significant drop compared to last year when 84.6% of planting had been completed by the same date.

The Madhesh Province has seen the lowest plantation rate this year. Last year, it had completed 80.6% of its plantation by the first week of Saun. This year, only 46.83% of paddy has been planted on the province’s 372,645 hectares of arable paddy land—just 174,508 hectares.

The drought is not only affecting crops but also causing drinking water shortages. With monsoon rains failing to arrive, many farmers are seen praying to the rain god, Indra. Without irrigation, even germinated seeds are at risk of drying out. According to agricultural expert Dr. Tika Karki, although the monsoon arrived early this year, actual rainfall hasn’t matched forecasts, leading to delayed or stalled paddy planting.

He warns that if paddy saplings, which should be transplanted at 30 days, are delayed past 40 days, it reduces yield. “Even riversides in hilly areas are seeing reduced water flow,” he said, “which is affecting the emergence of water sources vital for farming.”

Despite the bleak outlook in the east, farmers in the Terai still have a chance to catch up if rainfall occurs soon. Dr. Karki, a former chief of the Nepal Agricultural Research Council, notes that the same variety of rice planted in early Ashar or early Saun matures at the same time. However, the delay in transplanting older saplings results in reduced productivity and shorter straw lengths, affecting both grain and straw output.

In the Koshi Province, only 61.79% of paddy fields have been planted, compared to 82.7% at the same time last year. Out of 276,386 hectares of suitable land, only 170,790 hectares have been planted so far. Low rainfall in Koshi and Madhesh has been attributed to the decline in plantation rates.

On a positive note, Sudurpashchim Province leads the country with 96.99% of plantation completed—slightly up from 96.3% at the same time last year. Of its 176,151 hectares of paddy fields, 170,843 hectares have been planted.

Other regions showing higher plantation completion include:

• Karnali Province: 87.93% planted on 35,948 out of 40,884 hectares.
• Lumbini Province: 87.93% planted on 266,369 out of 302,939 hectares.
• Bagmati Province: 87.19% planted on 105,103 out of 120,545 hectares.
• Gandaki Province: 79.28% planted on 74,664 out of 94,182 hectares (down from 84.3% last year).

Despite strong local production in recent years, Nepal continues to import rice worth billions of rupees annually from India. This is concerning, given that rice accounts for around 30.2% of all cultivated crops in Nepal.

A review of the past 10 years shows only modest gains in productivity. For instance:

• In FY 2077/78 (2020/21), rice planted on 1.473 million hectares produced 5.622 million metric tons, with a productivity rate of just 3.8 metric tons/hectare.
• The following year, despite planting on 1.477 million hectares, production dropped to 5.13 million metric tons (3.5 t/ha).
• By FY 2079/80 (2022/23), 1.447 million hectares yielded 5.486 million metric tons, according to Nepal Rastra Bank’s report.

These numbers highlight the urgent need for improved irrigation systems, climate-resilient farming practices, and enhanced seed technology to ensure food security in the face of erratic weather patterns.