Asar is a special month for planting rice (paddy). Usually, rice planting is completed in most fields by the end of Asar.
However, this year due to insufficient water rice planting has been delayed in Tanahun district, particularly in Bhannu Nagarpalika-2, according to Dev Bahadur Kamli.
He states that this year’s rice planting has been slow and until the 22nd/23rd of Asar rice had not been planted, but it was done around mid-July, before Saun.
When there is a scarcity of water it becomes challenging for farmers to plant rice in suitable agricultural land.
Shiv Lal Pradhan from Vyas Nagarpalika-7 explains that due to the water scarcity only half of the field was planted with rice. There was fear that the remaining part might not get enough water for rice growth.
In areas where there is a lack of water, it becomes impossible to plant rice. Farmers are worried as they don’t have enough water for both drinking purposes and irrigating the rice fields. Water scarcity can be a significant hindrance to successful rice cultivation.
However, if there is sufficient rainfall, water from wells, ponds, canals, and other sources can be used for irrigation and all fields become suitable for rice cultivation. Kul Prasad Tiwari the chief agriculture development officer of the Tanahun Agricultural Knowledge Center emphasizes the importance of timely rainfall for successful rice cultivation.
When there is sufficient rainfall all fields become suitable for planting rice, and approximately 15% of the land becomes uncultivable. But this year, farmers are facing challenges due to the timing of rainfall.
As of Saun 9 approximately 75% of the rice planting had been completed, according to the information provided by Tiwari. In previous years it was observed that rice planting could reach up to 85% when there was adequate rainfall.
However this year, there are concerns that the target may not be achieved as rainfall has been unpredictable. The Agricultural Knowledge Center estimates that around 11,000 hectares of land are used for rice cultivation in the district resulting in approximately 24,000 metric tons of rice production.
In Tanahun district various types of rice including Ramdhan Savitri Hardinath 1 and Hardinath Hybrid 1 are grown.
Fields with irrigation facilities such as Chundiphant, Kaleshti Phant Majhphant Sange Phant Puttar Phant, and Risthi Phant have enough water to support rice cultivation.
In conclusion, rice cultivation in Tanahun district heavily depends on timely and sufficient rainfall or the availability of water from various sources for irrigation. Water scarcity poses a significant challenge for farmers, and successful rice planting relies on adequate water supply to the fields.
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