Kathmandu. 91 percent paddy sowing has been completed across the country. Last year, there was an increase of 8 percent compared to the same period. Sowing has been completed on 1.254 million hectares of land across the country. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, around 1.4 million hectares of land across the country is cultivable.

Information Officer at the Ministry, Mahananda Joshi, informed that 99.7 per cent sowing has been completed in the Far-West, followed by 98 per cent in Karnali and Lumbini provinces. According to him, 98 per cent sowing is expected by the second week of August.

The lowest 76 per cent sowing has been completed in Madhes province. Last year, 97 per cent sowing was done in Madhes so far. Joshi said that the lowest sowing was found in terms of percentage as the monsoon was active a little late here. According to him, sowing has been affected due to lack of required rainfall in Madhes.

According to Joshi, information officer at the Ministry, tarai region is considered suitable in terms of paddy production and area. Stating that the productivity of paddy has increased from the region and contributes to 70 percent of the total production, he said that 30 percent of the production is done in the hilly areas.

In the fiscal year 2080/81, 5,724,234 metric tonnes of paddy was produced. According to him, about 3.5 million metric tons of edible rice will be produced from the estimated 6 million metric tons of rice produced in the country this year.

Joshi said that due to adverse weather conditions, natural disasters, excessive rainfall and unseasonal rains, late sowing is taking place in some areas. According to him, the production is expected to increase due to the development of knowledge, skills, technology and advanced varieties of seeds developed in the recent past.