Farmers in Baitadi have difficulty in planting due to lack of rain

Baitadi: Farmers are facing problems in planting due to untimely rains. Farmers here, who have been planting paddy in the sky, are watching the sky to see when it will rain. In most of the areas, planting is done on the basis of rainfall.

Although this is the best time for planting, farmers have said that there is a problem due to lack of rain. Farmer Man Singh Bista of Dogadakedar Rural Municipality-3, Shrikot informed that the field is barren due to lack of water even though the seed is suitable for sowing. Even the bernas made for planting have become difficult to save as the water source dries up. He said, "There is no irrigation facility in our fields. We are waiting for rain from the sky. We have not been able to plant paddy till now, Berna is drying up."

May 29 to mid-July is considered the best time for transplanting. The Agriculture Knowledge Center estimates that only 15 percent has been planted in the district so far. Narendra Bahadur Chand, agriculture publicity officer of the center informed that the planting was done only in the basin area and in the areas with irrigation facilities. This is a good time to plant. Due to lack of rainfall, planting could not be done at this time. He said, "It is a good time to plant paddy in June, but if it is not planted in time, the production will be reduced." He said that the seedlings should be sown within a month. "If the seedlings are not sown in this period, the yield will be less," he said.

Although it has been planted in Surnaya river bank, Chaulani river bank, Purchaudi's market, Patan, Pancheshwar and other valley areas of the district, it remains in other areas. Patan Fant of Patan Municipality, Salena, Dilasheni and various areas of Sigas village, Serala of Dasharathchanda Municipality are pocket areas of paddy farming.

Paddy is cultivated in an area of 9000 hectares in Baitadi.