KATHMANDU: National Paddy Day, celebrated annually on the 15th of Asadh in the Nepali calendar, will be observed in Chitwan district tomorrow.

On this day, the first batch of paddy is planted, and people enjoy delicacies made from curd, flattened rice, and fruits.

The Prime Minister Agriculture Modernization Project Implementation Unit in Chitwan is organizing the festival at Bachauli, a well-known paddy-growing area.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ will be in attendance.

Narahari Prasad Ghimire, the Coordinator of the Organizing Committee and Director General of the Agriculture Department, shared that the day will be marked by planting paddy across one hectare using machinery.

During the celebration, farmers will be educated about climate-change-resilient paddy breeds, the modernization of agriculture, and climate-friendly agricultural practices, Ghimire said.

Paddy is not planted simultaneously everywhere due to erratic weather patterns.

In some places, seeds are sown while in others, paddy is planted at different times due to the varying arrival of the monsoon, he added.

Ghimire encouraged farmers to use modern agricultural technologies, noting that production could increase by 30 percent with their use.

“Currently, five paddy planting machines are in operation in the district. Planting paddy across one bigha of land costs around Rs 5,000,” he informed.

The slogan for this year’s National Paddy Day is “Climate-Friendly Agriculture, Increase in Rice Production.”