Against the government’s projection of 6 million tones output in the current fiscal year 2019-20, paddy production dropped by 1.1 percentage point – some 59,133 tonnes – to 5.55 million tonnes compared to the record high production of 5.61 million metric tonnes last fiscal year.
Releasing an initial estimate of paddy harvest, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development confirmed that the paddy output declined by 59,000 tonnes in the current fiscal year from the record high production of 5.61 million tonnes in the last fiscal year 2018-19.
The ministry attributed barren land due to low plantation coverage, delay in monsoon arrival, damage wrought by insects to the major cereal crops and problem related to seeds to the lower output of the paddy, a press note of the ministry reads, adding that the paddy productivity has, however, gone up by 1.17 per cent to 3,804 kg per hectare from 3,760 kg per hectare in the last fiscal year. “Though, the production figure is less compared to the last fiscal year, the current fiscal year has recorded the second highest paddy output, and also the record high in terms of productivity despite a series of misfortunes ranging from a delayed monsoon, fertiliser shortage and supply of fake seeds to an armyworm invasion, apart from supply of faulty Garima brand paddy.
The faulty Garima brand paddy did not yield rice grains across the country including in Chitwan, Rautahat, Nawalparasi, Nuwakot, Lamjung, Gorkha and Tanahun districts. The Garima brand paddy was planted across 1,500 hectares of land, affecting production of almost 8,500 tonnes of paddy.
Compared to the last fiscal year, paddy production has dropped in Province 2, Province 3, Gandaki Province and Lumbini Province, while the output has increased slightly in other provinces. Paddy production has increased by 0.6 per cent each in Province 1 and Karnali Province to 1.24 million tonnes and 134,407 metric tonnes, respectively. Similarly, paddy output has increased by 6.7 per cent compared to last year’s production in Sudurpaschim Province to 646,059 metric tonnes. “Paddy production this year dropped by five per cent to 1.42 million tonnes in Province 2, some 2.2 per cent to 510,210 metric tonnes in Province 3, some 4.4 per cent to 408,737 tonnes in Gandaki Province and 0.3 per cent to 1.18 million tonnes in Lumbini Province,” the press note reads.
The lower paddy production is going to hit the economic growth as the agriculture contributes to around 28 per cent in the gross domestic production (GDP), and paddy contributes highest to the agriculture gross domestic production (AGDP). The agro experts thus blamed government for manipulating the data to show that its ambitious growth target of 8.5 per cent or something close was achievable.
Likewise, the experts are also surprised by this year's production data as they have also estimated the paddy crop could drop by at least 8 per cent and the ministry had also initially estimated that production could drop by 7 per cent to 8 per cent in the current fiscal year.
Paddy Outout (metric tonnes)
Provinces Last FY This FY
Province 1 1,237,952 1,245,545
Province 2 1,495,044 1,420,436
Province 3 521,446 510,201
Gandaki 427,689 408,737
Lumbini 1,188,675 1,185,493
Karnali 133,579 134,407
Sudurpaschim 605,626 646,059
Total 5,610,011 5,550,878
Source: MoALD
Releasing an initial estimate of paddy harvest, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development confirmed that the paddy output declined by 59,000 tonnes in the current fiscal year from the record high production of 5.61 million tonnes in the last fiscal year 2018-19.
The ministry attributed barren land due to low plantation coverage, delay in monsoon arrival, damage wrought by insects to the major cereal crops and problem related to seeds to the lower output of the paddy, a press note of the ministry reads, adding that the paddy productivity has, however, gone up by 1.17 per cent to 3,804 kg per hectare from 3,760 kg per hectare in the last fiscal year. “Though, the production figure is less compared to the last fiscal year, the current fiscal year has recorded the second highest paddy output, and also the record high in terms of productivity despite a series of misfortunes ranging from a delayed monsoon, fertiliser shortage and supply of fake seeds to an armyworm invasion, apart from supply of faulty Garima brand paddy.
The faulty Garima brand paddy did not yield rice grains across the country including in Chitwan, Rautahat, Nawalparasi, Nuwakot, Lamjung, Gorkha and Tanahun districts. The Garima brand paddy was planted across 1,500 hectares of land, affecting production of almost 8,500 tonnes of paddy.
Compared to the last fiscal year, paddy production has dropped in Province 2, Province 3, Gandaki Province and Lumbini Province, while the output has increased slightly in other provinces. Paddy production has increased by 0.6 per cent each in Province 1 and Karnali Province to 1.24 million tonnes and 134,407 metric tonnes, respectively. Similarly, paddy output has increased by 6.7 per cent compared to last year’s production in Sudurpaschim Province to 646,059 metric tonnes. “Paddy production this year dropped by five per cent to 1.42 million tonnes in Province 2, some 2.2 per cent to 510,210 metric tonnes in Province 3, some 4.4 per cent to 408,737 tonnes in Gandaki Province and 0.3 per cent to 1.18 million tonnes in Lumbini Province,” the press note reads.
The lower paddy production is going to hit the economic growth as the agriculture contributes to around 28 per cent in the gross domestic production (GDP), and paddy contributes highest to the agriculture gross domestic production (AGDP). The agro experts thus blamed government for manipulating the data to show that its ambitious growth target of 8.5 per cent or something close was achievable.
Likewise, the experts are also surprised by this year's production data as they have also estimated the paddy crop could drop by at least 8 per cent and the ministry had also initially estimated that production could drop by 7 per cent to 8 per cent in the current fiscal year.
Paddy Outout (metric tonnes)
Provinces Last FY This FY
Province 1 1,237,952 1,245,545
Province 2 1,495,044 1,420,436
Province 3 521,446 510,201
Gandaki 427,689 408,737
Lumbini 1,188,675 1,185,493
Karnali 133,579 134,407
Sudurpaschim 605,626 646,059
Total 5,610,011 5,550,878
Source: MoALD
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