Paddy plantation completed on 64 per cent of arable land

Though, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD) has been claiming the production will not be affected, paddy plantation has been carried out on 63.79 per cent of 1.37 million hectares of arable land across the country as of today.
According to the ministry, the plantation data is over eight percentage point less than that in the same period of last year. “Paddy plantation has been completed on 71.96 per cent of arable land during same period of last year,” the ministry informed, adding that this year, late monsoon and heavy rainfall hit the paddy plantation hard. “The paddy plantation has been carried out across 56.13 per cent of arable land in Province 1, some 50.48 per cent in Province 2, some 69.18 per cent in Province 3, some 79.28 per cent in Gandaki Province, some 63.48 per cent in Province 5, some 90.13 per cent in Karnali Province and some 86.62 per cent of arable land in Sudurpaschim Province.”
Paddy plantation has been completed across 75 per cent of arable land in the high-hills, some 72.86 per cent in mid-hills and some 60 per cent of arable land in the Tarai, the ministry claimed; adding that this year the government is more focused on increasing productivity rather than the quantity of production.
Paddy productivity stands at 3.76 tonnes per hectare currently, though the government has targeted to increase it to four tonnes per hectare this year. “The ministry had signed a five-year work plan (2018-2023) with International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) of the Philippines to work jointly in seven sectors and 16 major projects for development of agricultural sector.”
Paddy contributes to over 20 per cent to the total agricultural production, whereas agriculture sector contributes to around 27 per cent to the national gross domestic product (GDP).

Nepal claims to be self reliant in paddy in three years

The government has claimed that Nepal will be self-sufficient in paddy within three years.
Addressing an interaction in Kathmandu today, deputy spokesperson for the Agriculture Development Ministry Shankhar Sapkota, said that the government has brought various programmes to become self-sufficient in paddy within three years.
"The government has set a target of producing 5.4 million tonnes of paddy in 2017-18 against the total 5.23 million tonnes of paddy produced in the current fiscal year," he said, addressing the interaction organised by Nepal Agriculture Journalists Academy on the occasion of 14th National Paddy Day tomorrow.
According to the Agricultural Development Ministry, the government has projected a growth of 3.25 per cent in the production of paddy in the next fiscal year.
Sapkota also said that the government has implemented different programmes in key districts to increase production of paddy. "We had launched different programmes in 20 districts in the fiscal year 2014-15," he said, adding that the government had also introduced different programmes for 15 Tarai districts in the fiscal year 2015-16. "The government will hand over these programmes to the local units from the new fiscal year."
The government has also started Prime Minister Agricultural Modernisation Project from last fiscal year to increase the productivity of the agriculture. Under the Prime Minister Agricultural Modernisation Project, the government has put self-sufficiency in paddy production in high priority. "The 10-year project is estimated to cost Rs 130 billion."
Likewise, the government is also planning to increase off-season paddy production in 50 districts to 300,000 hectares from existing 118,000 hectares.
The plantation area of paddy in the country is increasing slowly and the market is receiving improved seeds. Despite record high production, the country imported 359,000 tonnes of rice worth Rs 20 billion from countries including India, Italy, China, Thailand, South Korea and Japan in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, according to the Trade and Export Promotion Centre (TEPC). "In fiscal year 2015-16, Nepal had imported 539,000 metric tonnes of rice worth Rs 22.80 billion."
Paddy plantation was done in 1.5 million hectares land – 50 per cent of cultivable land in the country – in the current fiscal year. "Nearly 70 per cent of paddy is produced in Tarai districts, and remaining 30 per cent in hilly districts," according to the ministry.
Also speaking, on the occasion, chief of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Bhaba Tripathi said that the institute was developing different paddy varieties that can cope with extreme heat and submergence. "There already are different varieties of paddy that give high yields," he said, adding that the farmers are but yet to get hold of these varieties.
Agriculture sector contribute around one third to the gross domestic production (GDP).

Comparative data
Year Production (in metric tonnes)
2013-14 5.04 million
2014-15 4.8 million
2015-16 4.3 million
2016-17 5.23 million
2017-18 5.4 million (Projected)

ADB, IRRI sign knowledge partnership agreement

Asian Development Bank (ADB) president Takehiko Nakao and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) director general Matthew Morell signed an agreement to promote food security in Asia and the Pacific by scaling up collaboration on disseminating research and other knowledge on the role of advanced agricultural technologies in providing affordable food for all.
Under the partnership agreement signed today during ADB’s Food Security Forum 2016, the two institutions will undertake annual consultations to review and ensure alignment of ongoing collaborative activities, and to develop a joint work programme. The 2016 programme will focus on expanding the use of climate-smart agriculture and water-saving technologies to increase productivity and boost the resilience of rice cultivation systems, and to minimise the carbon footprint of rice production.
“This new form of collaboration with IRRI is another step toward our shared goal of ensuring good food and nutrition for all citizens of this region," Nakao said on the occasion. "We look forward to further strengthening our cooperation in this area to promote inclusive and sustainable growth, as well as to combat climate change."
“I am delighted to build on our partnership with ADB to add a new dimension to our long-standing collaborative work,” Morell said, adding that IRRI looks forward to deepening our already strong partnership as we jointly develop and disseminate useful agricultural technologies throughout Asia.
ADB and IRRI have collaborated since 1975 on agricultural research to provide scientific solutions to a wide array of challenges including low crop yields, vulnerability to extreme weather, pests and disease, postharvest losses, deteriorating land and water resources, and greenhouse gas emissions.
ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, ADB in December 2016 will mark 50 years of development partnership in the region. It is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region. In 2015, ADB assistance totaled $27.2 billion, including cofinancing of $10.7 billion.
IRRI has its headquarters in Los Baños, Philippines, and has offices in 15 countries. It is an independent, nonprofit agricultural research and educational organization established in 1960 through funding from the Ford and Rockefeller foundations, with support from the Philippine government. Its mission is to reduce poverty and hunger, improve the health of rice farmers and consumers, and ensure environmental sustainability of rice farming.