Kathmandu. 91 percent paddy sowing has been completed across the country. Sowing was eight percent more than the same period last year. Sowing has been completed on about 1.254 million hectares of land across the country.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has stated that about 1.4 million hectares of land is suitable for cultivation across the country.

The highest sowing has been completed in the Far West at 99.7 percent, followed by Karnali and Lumbini provinces at 98 percent, according to the ministry’s information officer, Mahananda Joshi. According to him, 98 percent sowing is expected to be completed by the second week of Bhadra.

The lowest sowing has been completed in Madhesh province at 76 percent. Last year, 97 percent sowing was done in Madhesh so far. Joshi said that the lowest sowing was found in terms of percentage because the monsoon was a little late here. He said that the sowing was affected because the required rainfall could not be received in Madhesh.

According to Joshi, the Ministry’s Information Officer, the Terai region is considered suitable in terms of rice production and area. Stating that the productivity of rice has increased from that region and contributes 70 percent of the total production, he informed that 30 percent is produced in the hilly region.

In the fiscal year 2080/81, 57 lakh 24 thousand 234 metric tons of rice were produced. He said that about 3.5 lakh metric tons of edible rice will be produced from the 6 lakh metric tons of rice estimated to be produced domestically this year.

Joshi mentioned that adverse weather conditions, natural disasters, excessive rainfall and drought have negatively affected the sowing in some areas. He said that the production is expected to increase due to the development of knowledge, skills, technology and improved varieties of seeds developed recently. (RSS)