Nepal seeks shift from manual to mechanical rice transplantation
Summary
Nepal’s rice experts are pushing for an affordable, sustainable mechanisation system to replace manual transplanting and lift productivity. A KOPIA Nepal Centre seminar in Lalitpur laid out a roadmap for the next rice project, with direct-seeded rice and mechanical transplanting identified as key options.
Key Points
- Rice specialists called for an affordable and sustainable mechanisation system to reduce dependence on manual transplanting and improve rice output.
- KOPIA Nepal Centre held a roadmap seminar in Khumaltar for its proposed 2028–2030 rice project, focusing on mechanical transplanting adapted to Nepali conditions.
- Nepal produces about 5.96 million tonnes of rice annually but still imports around 772,000 tonnes a year, worth roughly Rs. 39 billion.
- Experts highlighted labour shortages, high costs and limited access to modern tools as major barriers, while also pointing to direct-seeded rice as a climate-smart alternative.
