SARLAHI: Rice production in Sarlahi has decreased this year due to the lack of timely rainfall, as reported by the Agriculture Knowledge Centre in Sarlahi.

The absence of prompt rain has negatively impacted rice production, alongside crop diseases and pesticide-related issues.

Farmer Ruplal Chaudhary from Jabdi of Lalbandi municipality-3 expressed disappointment over this year’s rice yield, mentioning the substantial investment in irrigation costs. Last year’s production of 164,145 metric tons significantly contrasts with this year’s observed decrease, with some land plots yielding only two maunds compared to the previous year’s five maunds. One mound is equivalent to 37.324 kg.

Devanand Ray Yadav, the Chief of the Centre, highlighted that regions with available irrigation facilities showed satisfactory production, while rain-fed areas experienced declines due to disease and pesticide problems. Official data indicates paddy cultivation covers approximately 46,500 hectares of land in Sarlahi.

Farmers lacking reliable irrigation systems had to resort to water pumping methods or containers for transplantation due to delayed rains, resulting in escalated farming expenses.