Till June 15th, 23.96 percent planting has been completed in Lumbini province. According to the Directorate of Agricultural Development under the Ministry of Agricultural Land Management and Cooperatives, according to the data till June 15, planting has been done in 12 districts of Lumbini Province.

Compared to the previous year, due to the faster monsoon rains, paddy planting in the state has increased compared to the previous year. But if it had rained on time, 50 percent more paddy would have been planted by now, Director General of the Directorate Ram Prasad Pandey said. "Due to the rapid fall of water, paddy planting has increased by a few percent this year," he said. According to the directorate, 18.05 percent of paddy was planted in Lumbini province last year till June 14th. Out of the total area of ​​3 lakh 2 thousand 939 hectares for paddy planting, only 72 thousand 598 hectares have been planted so far, the directorate said.

Paddy is cultivated under the main food crop of Lumbini province. 82 percent planting has been completed in the highest number of Pyuthans in the province. 5 thousand 318 hectares of area in Pyuthan, i.e. 82 percent of the area where rice is planted, has been completed. Similarly, among the Terai districts, the largest number of paddy plantations is in West Nawalparasi, out of 20,480 hectares, 8,092 hectares i.e. 40 percent of the planting has been completed, the directorate said. In Kapilvastu, paddy is planted in an area of ​​65 thousand 871 hectares. This year only 7 percent of the total area i.e. 4 thousand 611 hectares has been planted.

In Rukum East, out of the 354 hectares of paddy cultivation area, the directorate has said that planting has been completed in 1848 hectares, which is 52 percent of the total paddy cultivation area. Planting has been completed in 79 percent of the 4,547 hectares in Rolpa. In Arghakhanchi, there is paddy cultivation in an area of ​​6,760 hectares. Here, 21 percent of paddy has been planted, that is, only in an area of ​​1,420 hectares. Out of the total 8,210 hectares in Palpa, 821 hectares of the area, i.e. 10 percent, have been planted. But Krishi Gyan Kendra Palpa has informed that 18 percent planting has been completed by the evening of June 15.

In Rupandehi, 40 percent planting has been completed. Out of the 60,567 hectares of paddy production area in Rupandehi, 24,230 hectares have been planted. According to the directorate, 17 percent planting has been done in Dang, one of the main districts where rice is produced. Out of the total area of ​​37 thousand 225 hectares to be planted in Dang district, 6 thousand 328 hectares have already been planted.

28 percent planting has been completed in Bardia. Planting has been completed in 13,714 hectares out of 50,150 hectares in Bardia. Out of the 34,711 hectares of paddy production area in Banke, 3,818 hectares have been planted. In the hilly district of Lumbini province, 5 percent of the planting has been completed in Gulmi, which produces the most rice. In Gulmi, paddy is cultivated in an area of ​​7,539 hectares. So far, only 391 hectares of area have been planted, the directorate said. All the local levels of Palpa Gayat Lumbini Province, various political parties and their fraternal organizations also celebrated Paddy Day with various programs.

Paddy planting in full swing with the rain

After the rain since Sunday morning, the farmers of Palpa have celebrated the National Paddy Day by exchanging greetings on the 15th of Asar. After a long drought, the farmers have been busy in the fields after light rains for the past few days and again in the morning. All the 10 local levels of Palpa, including Krishi Gyan Kendra, were able to celebrate National Paddy Day by going to farmers' fields.

Likewise, Agricultural Knowledge Center and Agricultural Service Center Madanpokhara celebrated Paddy Day in Damakada Madifant. In the program held by the Agricultural Knowledge Center, Deputy Chief of the District Coordination Committee Kashika Gyawali Gayre, Chief District Officer Toynarayan Subedi, Assistant Chief District Officer Rishiram Subedi, Chief of Agricultural Knowledge Center Arvind Mani Tripathi, Chief of Orange Fruit Development Center Jogendra Kandu, Ward President Rajesh Kumar Aryal and others stressed that while celebrating Paddy Day, farmers' problems should also be discussed.

On the occasion of Paddy Day, prizes were distributed to those who were awarded in women's and men's hill race, best planting, etc. On the occasion of Paddy Day, fraternal and benevolent organizations, cooperatives and groups of political parties in Palpa also celebrated Paddy Day by having fun in the fields. The Nepali Farmers' Federation of Nepali Congress celebrated Paddy Day at Deurali Dambak of Ribdikot Rural Municipality, the All Nepal Farmers' Federation of CPN-UML at Pipaldanda Khokkhola of Rambha Rural Municipality, and the National Independent Party at Madi Fant. Similarly, other political parties also celebrated Paddy Day at different places.

But the farmers are facing the shortage of irrigation canals as well as the shortage of chemical fertilizers during rice planting and corn threshing. Farmers in some parts of Palpa have just planted paddy beds just a few days ago. In some places, while singing songs in Asare language, playing Panchebaza, farmers spread tar and mud on the fields and planted them. According to farmer Harisumar Regmi of Tansen Municipality-9, Damkada, irrigation and fertilizer shortage are the main problems at present.