CHITWAN: Mustard production in the district has declined this year.
Compared to last year, productivity per hectare has also fallen. According to Nirmal Paudel, an agricultural economist at the Agricultural Development Office, productivity per hectare was 1.31 metric tons last year, but it has dropped to 1.01 metric tons this year.
Last year, 18,565 metric tons of mustard were produced in the district, while this year production has decreased to 14,315 metric tons.
Mustard is being cultivated on 14,173 hectares in the district. According to Paudel, the main reason for the decline in mustard production is unseasonal rain, which forced farmers to replant mustard crops. Additionally, wilting during flowering has contributed to lower yields.
Chitwan has long been considered an important district for mustard production. With the growing interest of farmers in cash crops in recent years, the number of farmers growing mustard has also increased.
Paudel noted that mustard is particularly attractive to farmers because wild animals rarely damage it, further encouraging its cultivation.
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