Farmer Phulo Mahato of Dammari, Barju Rural Municipality-3, Sunsari, is currently busy harvesting rice in his field.

In previous years, he would have been busy planting maize after storing the paddy he had brought in at this time in his yard. But this time, the scene is completely different. Even as Mangsir is coming to an end, the Pahelpur paddy has yet to be harvested in Mahato's field.

Last year, Fulo's neighbor Tarun Mahato would have finished threshing at this time and started preparing for the next crop. But this time, he is just starting to use the thresher. Fulo says, narrating his pain, 'This year, something happened. When he was about to harvest, the flood came and submerged the field. I have never experienced such a tragedy before.'

He is not the only one, thousands of farmers from Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari in Koshi Province are in similar pain. The paddy has not been harvested anywhere, and farmers are struggling to pick up the paddy that was submerged and felled by the flood last Asoj.

Farmer Revati Devi of Sunvarshi Rural Municipality in Morang considers this year as the most difficult time in her agricultural life. ‘Drought delayed the planting of rice. And when the flood came during the harvesting, it was pushed back even further,’ she lamented.

This year, many farmers in Koshi Province had to bear a double disaster. The drought in Asar-Sarawak delayed the planting. The rice that was planted late also ripened late. On top of that, rain and flood during the ripening period submerged the fields.

According to agricultural experts, untimely rain and sudden heavy rain have become an increasing problem in recent years. According to Bhavani Basnet, Crop Development Officer of the Directorate of Agriculture Development, Biratnagar, the impact of drought during planting and flood during ripening has been seen on rice production this year. ‘In many places, sowing has been delayed due to drought. Crops planted late ripen late. There is a possibility of a decrease in production due to rain during harvesting,’ she said.

Malati Uraun, a farmer from Mechinagar in Jhapa, recalls the past, saying, ‘Earlier, all the rice would have been inside the house before Mangsir.’ But this time, half of the rice is still in the field. It is frustrating to watch.’ According to local agricultural technicians, problems such as flooding, water absorption by the crop, falling of the ears, falling of the grains and blackening of the grains have reduced not only the production but also the quality of the rice.

According to the Directorate of Agricultural Development, there is a high possibility of a decrease in rice production in Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari this year. Continuous rain during the ripening period affects rice the most. The directorate's information officer Purnamaya Gurung says, 'The rice harvest has been delayed, so no complete details of production have been received from any district. However, the initial assessment shows clear signs of a decrease in production.'

According to agricultural experts, when rice is harvested late, problems with the grain occur, the sprouts burst, the grain loses its shine, and it rots due to water. This weakens the cost capacity of the farmer and can even affect the market price.

'Many farmers have taken loans for everything from sowing to fertilizer, seeds, irrigation, and labor. The sight of the rice ripening and remaining in the field is like a mental injury for the farmer,' says Phulo Mahato, 'The rice has not been imported yet, how will the loan be paid? How will the family be supported?' He said that such psychological pressure on the farmers will not be interested in farming and will affect next year's production as well.

Farmers have started demanding that the government provide relief and compensation. Although there is a system to provide relief to flood-affected farmers after assessing the damage, farmers complain that there are delays in distribution, paperwork hassles, and actual damage is not covered.