JANAKPURDHAM: The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has said that the country this year produced 5.72 million metric tons of paddy.

Compared to the last financial year the production of paddy has increased by 4.33 percent in the current year, according to the Ministry.

Furthermore, paddy production this year has increased by 5.08 percent compared to the average production of the last four years.

However, the area of paddy cultivation has decreased even though total output increased.

According to the ministry, the total area with paddy plantation has decreased by 0.61 i.e. 8,800 hectares compared to last year to come down to 1.43 million hectares.

This is less by 1.73 per cent compared to the average area of the last four years.

Hence, the productivity has increased. “The average productivity of paddy has increased by 4.97 per cent compared to last year and reached 3.98 metric tons per hectare”, the Ministry stated.

The productivity this year is 6.92 per cent higher than the average productivity of the last four years.

In terms of productivity, Koshi province leads with 4.43 metric tons per hectare while it is the lowest in Madhes province with 3.49 metric tons per hectare.

The increase in rice production in the current season has been attributed to the availability and use of developed seeds, reduction in the impact of disease and pests infestation, and the improvement in the availability of fertilizers, the use of agricultural tools and technology, and seasonal adaptation.

The statistics of the paddy crop have been extracted using satellite images in collaboration with the Ministries of Agriculture of all the seven provinces and the ICIMOD.