MORANG: Rice production in Morang district has declined this year due to unseasonal rainfall, dealing a setback to farmers in one of Nepal’s leading rice-producing regions. Compared to last year, the district’s total rice output has fallen by 2,084 metric tonnes.
According to Deepa Dev, chief of the Agricultural Knowledge Centre in Morang, unseasonal rain in October damaged standing and ripening paddy, leading to lower yields. The district produced 336,919.41 metric tonnes of rice this year, down from 339,003.45 metric tonnes last year.
Average productivity also declined from 4.88 metric tonnes per hectare last year to 4.85 metric tonnes per hectare this year. Rice was cultivated on 69,467.92 hectares in the district.
Agricultural expert Rajendra Upreti said poor drainage caused by erosion of nearby streams and rivers worsened the damage, particularly during the ripening and storage stages. “Although overall crop growth was good, unseasonal rainfall affected mature paddy and reduced final output,” he explained.
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