Chaite paddy cultivation declining in Kanchanpur due to irrigation shortage
Kanchanpur: The number of farmers cultivating Chaite paddy in Kanchanpur is decreasing every year. According to statistics from the Agricultural Knowledge Center, Kanchanpur, and the Prime Minister's Agriculture Modernization Project Office, Kanchanpur, the number of farmers cultivating Chaite paddy has been steadily declining. Due to the lack of irrigation facilities, Chaite paddy, which was once cultivated on 400 hectares, is now grown on only 150 hectares.
Assistant Crop Development Officer of the Agricultural Knowledge Center, Kanchanpur, Dharma Bahadur Saund, said that cultivation is currently being carried out on 150 hectares in the district. “We have been providing farmers with various agricultural equipment and facilities such as borings for irrigation,” Saund said. “However, Chaite paddy requires a large amount of irrigation, and due to the lack of adequate irrigation facilities here, its cultivation is decreasing.”
According to Officer Saund, although the knowledge center has been providing borings for irrigation to farmers at a 50 percent subsidy, it has not been able to ensure sufficient irrigation. The Agricultural Knowledge Center, Kanchanpur, has also been providing seeds, fertilizers, irrigation facilities and plowing equipment to farmers under the Chaite rice cultivation promotion program.
“Chaite rice yields more than other varieties,” said Officer Saund. “Farmers also receive technical support from here.” Despite its higher yield, farmers complain that they have been unable to cultivate Chaite rice due to the lack of irrigation facilities.
“Production is good and a lot of water is needed, but there is not enough water facility for irrigation here,” said farmer Khushiram Chaudhary. “There is no water available in the Mahakali irrigation canal during Chait-Baishakh, and the water from the borings is not sufficient for Chaite rice.”
He said he stopped cultivating Chaite rice after the fields became barren due to insufficient irrigation. Another farmer, Pallavaraj Joshi, said that farming has been facing multiple challenges due to the lack of irrigation and increasing fallow land. “If irrigation is provided, Chaite rice is the most suitable crop for us,” he said. “However, drought occurs here at the time when Chaite rice requires water.”
The Prime Minister’s Agriculture Modernization Project Rice Zone Office has also stated that rice cultivation in Kanchanpur has not been able to meet the targeted levels. The total cultivable land in the district is 161,741 hectares, of which 59,602 hectares, or 36 percent, is currently cultivated. Irrigation facilities are available in only 29 percent of this area. Rice cultivation is carried out on 48,600 hectares in Kanchanpur.
At present, irrigation facilities are available in 11,600 hectares of land in Kanchanpur through the first and second phases of the Mahakali Irrigation Project. The project began in 2042 BS and the first phase was completed in 2048 BS, providing irrigation facilities to 4,800 hectares. The second phase, completed in 2052 BS, added irrigation coverage to 6,800 hectares. Irrigation facilities from these phases are currently available in Bhimdatta Municipality, Bedkot Municipality and Beldandi Rural Municipality.