Kathmandu, Jan. 9: Paddy production has increased to 5.724 million tonnes, the highest yield in Nepal, this year. According to the report published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and Development, the paddy output totalled 5.724 million tonnes that is 268,000 tonnes higher than last year’s harvest. 

About 5.486 million tonnes of paddy was produced in the last fiscal year 2022/23. Earlier, Nepal had grown 5.621 million tonnes of rice in the fiscal year 2020/21. However, the yield had fallen to 5.13 million tonnes in the last fiscal year 2021/22. Similarly, about 5.55 million tonnes of paddy was produced in the fiscal year 2019/20.

According to the Ministry, the production of rice has increased by 4.33 per cent this year as compared to last year’s production. It is to be noted that paddy was planted in less area this year than the last year.

In the year 2022/23, paddy plantation was done in 1,447,789 hectares while plantation was done in 1,438,989 hectares of land this year.

According to spokesperson of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development Sabnam Shivakoti Aryal, there has been a significant increase in paddy production even though there was plantation in 8,800 hectares less compared to the last year.

The Ministry has released paddy production data after analysing the production data with the help of the data collected from the districts by the Ministry of Agriculture of the seven provinces and the satellite email provided by ICIMOD.

According to the Ministry, the quantity of paddy production has been calculated based on the area of paddy planted in Tarai Madhes and the percentage of paddy plantation rate in the current fiscal year.

The productivity of rice has increased by 4.97 per cent to 3.98 tons per hectare in the current fiscal year as compared to the previous year, she said.

Compared to the average productivity of the last four years, productivity has increased by 6.92 per cent in the current fiscal year, the ministry said.

Shivakoti said that the increase in rice production is due to the availability of advanced seeds and reduction in the incidence of diseases and pests, reduction in the negative effects of floods and landslides on rice crops, and the availability of fertilisers.

Highest yield in Koshi Province 

According to the Ministry, the maximum amount of paddy has been grown in Koshi Province out of the seven provinces. About 1.435 million tonnes of paddy has been grown in the province this year.

Similarly, around 1.33 million tonnes of paddy has been produced in Madhes Province, 504,344 tonnes in Bagmati, 391,624 tonnes in Gandaki, 1.31 million tonnes in Lumbini, 145,063 tonnes in Karnali and 591,124 tonnes in Sudurpashchim Province.

In terms of productivity also, the paddy production yield is highest in Koshi Province while the production was lowest in Karnali Province.

The production yield stood at 4.43 tonnes per hectare in Koshi Province and 3.49 tonnes per hectare in Madhes Province.

Production yield stood at 3.91 tonnes per hectare in Bagmati Province, 3.84 tonnes per hectare in Gandaki Province, 4.33 tonnes per hectare in Lumbini Province and 3.46 tonnes per hectare in Karnali and 3.83 tonnes per hectare in Sudurpashchim Province.

In terms of production and productivity growth compared to last year, Lumbini Province has seen the highest growth in the current fiscal year, while Madhes Province has achieved negative growth.

At the time of paddy plantation, there was not enough rainfall in Tarai Madhes, planting was done very late and there was a lack of rainwater even after planting, which has led to a reduction in paddy in Madhes compared to other provinces, said the Ministry.