The early arrival of the monsoon this year has led to an increase in paddy plantation across Nepal, according to the Department of Agriculture under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.

As of Monday, paddy had been planted in 45.03 percent of the total cultivable area across the country. This marks a 1.53 percentage point increase compared to the same period last year, when the plantation had reached 43.5 percent. Director General of the Department, Prakash Kumar Sanjel, noted that most farmers in Nepal rely on rainfall for rice cultivation, and this year’s early monsoon contributed to faster progress in paddy plantation.

However, Madhes Province has received comparatively low rainfall this year although monsoon has already started in eastern Tarai. As a result, Madhes Province recorded slower plantation progress than other provinces. However, it still fared better than last year. Sanjel added that paddy plantation generally starts earlier in Sudurpaschim Province and later in Madhes.

According to the department, of the total 1,383,732 hectares of cultivable land designated for paddy, planting has been completed on 623,104.47 hectares so far.

In Koshi Province, paddy plantation has reached 81,634.9 hectares, or 29.54 percent of its 276,386.73 hectares. This is slightly lower than the 34.4 percent recorded during the same period last year.

In Madhes Province, 93,468.2 hectares have been planted out of 372,645 hectares, representing 25.08 percent, compared to 25.5 percent last year.

Bagamati Province has completed plantation on 62,561 hectares out of 120,545 hectares, or 51.9 percent, which is significantly higher than the 41 percent achieved by this time last year.

In Gandaki Province, plantation has reached 52,353 hectares, or 55.6 percent of the total 94,182 hectares — up from 49.7 percent last year.

Lumbini Province has seen 157,857 hectares of planting out of 302,939 hectares, amounting to 52.1 percent, compared to 44.4 percent last year.

In Karnali Province, paddy has been planted on 29,299 hectares — or 71.7 percent of the 40,884 hectares — although this is lower than the 78 percent recorded in the same period last year.

Sudurpaschim Province leads all provinces with 145,932 hectares planted out of 176,151 hectares, amounting to 82.8 percent. Last year, the figure stood at 86 percent.

The Ministry of Agriculture estimates that nearly 50 percent of the country’s paddy plantation depends entirely on monsoon rainfall. The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology reported that while areas such as Janakpur, Simara, and Biratnagar received below-average rainfall, places including Dhangadhi, Surkhet, Bhairahawa, Lumle, Jumla, Dang, and Kathmandu recorded above-average precipitation.

Typically, Nepal receives an average of 1,400 millimetres of rainfall during the monsoon season. As of now, the country has received 352 millimetres, which is 23.8 percent of the seasonal average. Department spokesperson Bibhuti Pokharel stated that overall, rainfall has remained close to the national average, though there are regional variations.

This year, the monsoon entered eastern Nepal on June 29, about 15 days earlier than usual, and had spread across the country by June 20. The four-month monsoon season in Nepal typically lasts from June to September.

According to the latest forecast, the southern parts of Madhes Province are likely to receive below-average rainfall, while the southern belt of Koshi Province is expected to receive average rainfall. The remaining regions are forecast to receive above-average precipitation.

Eastern Karnali, northern Lumbini, and most of Gandaki Province have a 55 to 65 percent probability of receiving above-average rainfall. Similarly, southern Sudurpaschim, western Lumbini, northeastern Gandaki, and northern Bagmati and Koshi provinces have a 45 to 55 percent chance of above-average rainfall.

There is a 35 to 45 percent probability of above-average rainfall in northern Sudurpaschim, southeastern Lumbini, southern Bagamati, and central Koshi. The southern parts of Koshi are expected to receive average rainfall, while the central and eastern parts of Madhes Province face a 35 to 45 percent chance of below-average rainfall.

According to the ministry, Nepal produced 5.95 million metric tonnes of paddy in 2024, which is a 4.04 percent increase compared to the previous year. Production in Koshi Province reached 1.47 million metric tonnes, while Madhes Province produced 1.48 million metric tonnes. Bagmati Province yielded 498,632 metric tonnes, Gandaki Province 379,032 metric tonnes, Lumbini Province 1.36 million metric tonnes, Karnali Province 130,191 metric tonnes, and Sudurpaschim Province 636,212 metric tonnes. -- RSS