Rice production falls by 250,000 tonnes
Summary
Nepal’s rice production has fallen by more than 250,000 metric tonnes in a year as cultivated area and productivity both declined. Researchers at the National Rice Research Programme are developing and promoting higher-yielding, climate-resilient varieties, but say limited seed access and weak adoption are keeping results from reaching farmers.
Key Points
- Rice production in Nepal dropped by 250,350 metric tonnes in one year, while cultivated area shrank by 43,764 hectares and productivity also declined.
- The National Rice Research Programme under NARC is developing rice varieties that can yield more and tolerate floods, droughts and changing weather.
- Researchers say recommended varieties are not reaching farmers because quality seeds are limited and promotion is inadequate.
- Climate risks, irrigation shortages, delayed transplantation and fertilizer constraints are hurting production, especially in Madhes Province.
