KATHMANDU: Prime Minister (PM) Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that the government has adopted a strategy to increase the production and productivity of paddy, thereby substituting its import.

Extending best wishes on the occasion of the 19th National Paddy Day and Plantation Festival, he mentioned that the government has pursued a strategy to implement commercial agriculture development program and develop and increase the use of climate-friendly, nutritious paddy including high-yielding varieties.

Every year, the 15th of Asar in the Lunar Calendar is celebrated as National Paddy Day.

This year, the 19th National Paddy Day and Plantation Festival, 2079 is being celebrated under the slogan ‘Utilization of Biodiversity in Paddy Crops, Support to Import Substitution’.

Stating that paddy and paddy farming have been an integral part of Nepali society’s economic, social and cultural significance since time immemorial, Prime Minister Deuba noted that the Constitution has guaranteed the right to food as a fundamental right.

He said that the Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act, 2075 BS has been issued to implement this right.

Considering the current situation where a huge amount of money has to be spent annually on rice imported, the Government of Nepal has implemented various policies and plans to increase the production of paddy and maintain sustainable food security in the country.

Prime Minister Deuba also expressed the confidence that increasing the production of paddy in Nepal will help the country become self-reliant through protection and promotion of the indigenous varieties of paddy found in the Terai, hills and mountains.