Fertile land size and paddy production declining
Kathmandu: The paddy production has moderately increased this year compared to the last fiscal 2078/79 BS. However, the yield appears to be lesser than the year 2077/78. Not only the production but also the land size for paddy farming is declining in the recent years. Yet, paddy productivity and annual production have gradually improved.
According to the ‘paddy production details of current fiscal 2079/80’ published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock on Thursday, a total of 5,486,472 metric tons paddy was produced in 1,447,789 hectares of land this year.
In the last fiscal year 2078/79, paddy was planted in 1,479,378 hectares of land across the country. The output was 5,047,000 metric tons. According to the data, the area of land with paddy plantation is bigger last year than the current fiscal year. But the production has gone down. Nevertheless, in the last three fiscal years, the paddy production was higher than that of this year.
As per the ministry details, the paddy output was 5,610,000 metric tons in the FY 2075/76; 5,550.000metric tons in the FY 76/77 and 5,621,000 in the FY 2077/78 BS. Likewise, the land size for paddy plantation has also gradually decreased, the ministry said. Nepal’s paddy cultivated land was 1,552,469 hectares in the FY 2073/74 while it has reduced to 1,400,047 hectares this year. It was 1,469,545 hectares in the FY 2074/75 and 1,491,744 hectares in the FY 2075/76 BS. Likewise, the area of paddy cultivated land was 1,458,915 hectares in the FY 2076/77 BS.
In comparison to the last FY 2078/79, total land size with paddy plantation has decreased by two percent this year. This year total paddy production has increased by 6.94 percent and productivity by 9.12 percent.
