Farmer Phulo Mahato of Dammari, Barju Rural Municipality-3, Sunsari is currently busy harvesting rice in his field. In previous years, at this time, he would have been busy planting corn by storing the rice he had brought in in his yard. However, this time the scene is completely different. It is already the time for the puus, but the Pahelpur rice is still ripe in Mahato's field.

Phulo's neighbor Tarun Mahato is also in a similar predicament. In previous years, he would have finished threshing in this season and started preparing for the next crop, but now he is just starting to use the thresher.

Phulo recounts his pain, saying, 'This year, it was a disaster. When he was about to harvest, the flood came and submerged the field. I had never experienced such a tragedy before.' He is not alone, thousands of farmers in Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari in Koshi Province are in similar pain. In some places, the rice has not been harvested, in others, farmers are struggling to pick up the rice that was submerged and felled by the recent flood.

Drought during planting, flood during harvesting

Revati Devi, a farmer from Sunvarshi Rural Municipality in Morang, considers this year as the most difficult time in her agricultural life. 'The drought also delayed the planting of rice. And when the flood came during harvesting, it was pushed back even further,' she lamented.

This year, many farmers in Koshi Province had to face a double disaster. The drought in Asar-Shrawan delayed sowing. The late-planted rice ripened late. On top of that, when it was time to harvest, the sudden rain and flood caused water to stagnate in the fields, making it impossible to harvest rice.

According to Bhavani Basnet, Crop Development Officer of the Directorate of Agriculture Development, Biratnagar, the impact of climate change has been seen on rice production this year. 'In many places, sowing was 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 in the house before the onset of Mangsir.’ But this year, half of the rice is still in the field.’

According to local agricultural technicians, problems such as flooding, waterlogging, falling of the ears, falling of the grains and blackening of the grains have not only reduced 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. The continuous rain will affect the ripening rice the most. Purnamaya Gurung, information officer of the directorate, says, ‘The rice harvesting has been delayed, so the complete details of the production have not yet come from any district.’ However, initial assessments have clearly shown signs of a decline in production.'