Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Paddy production increases but not enough to meet demand

Though paddy production has increased by around nine per cent this year, it still is not enough to meet the overall demand of 6.1 million metric tonnes for the countrymen.
Some 5.6 million metric tonnes of paddy was produced this year compared to 5.1 million metric tonnes last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.
The better paddy harvest will give a push to the economic growth – for the current fiscal year – also as paddy has more weitage in Nepal's economic growth, especially agriculture growth, that contributes to around one third to the gross domestic production (GDP).
The increased paddy production has also met the fourth three-year plan of producing 5.5 million metric tonnes paddy. "The increment in paddy yield per hectare of land stands at 3.76 metric tonnes compared to 3.5 metric tonnes last year," the ministry said, adding that the overall increment in paddy yield stood at 8.89 per cent this year. "The paddy fields swelled around 22,000 hectares this year, an increment of 7.27 per cent."
Rains, arrangements for fertilisers on time, the use of hybrid seeds, and less impact of natural disasters contributed to the increment in paddy production, said the agriculture secretary Yubakdhoj GC.
Province 2 topped the paddy production increment this year among the seven provinces, according to information officer of the ministry Binod Bhattarai. "Province 2 witnessed the production of 1.49 million metric tonnes of paddy, an increment of 209,000 metric tonnes, compared to last year."
The paddy plantation – this year – covered some 1.49 million hectares of lands compared to 1.46 million hectares last year. Approximately 97 per cent paddy plantation had been witnessed across the country this year. 

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