Agya Khabar
Bardibas

Three consecutive days of continuous rainfall have brought much-needed relief to farmers across Madhesh Province. After suffering through prolonged drought, farmers have now begun planting paddy, albeit later than usual.

According to the Directorate of Agricultural Development of Madhesh Province, paddy plantation has now reached 63% across the region following the onset of rainfall. Senior horticulture officer Pradeep Yadav informed that plantation is already completed in Bara and Parsa districts. “In other districts, the plantation is progressing rapidly. If the rainfall continues for a few more days, the remaining fields will also be planted,” he stated.

Last month, due to the lack of rainfall, the provincial government had begun preparations to declare certain areas drought-affected. As an immediate relief measure, shallow tube wells were distributed through the Agriculture Knowledge Centers to assist farmers with irrigation.

According to agricultural statistics from the province, paddy is cultivated on a total of 372,645 hectares of land in Madhesh. In a typical year, most of the fields are planted by the second week of the Nepali month of Shrawan (mid-to-late July). However, the delayed rains this year had raised concerns that large swathes of land might remain fallow.

A significant portion of farming in the province still relies heavily on rainfall. The Directorate reports that approximately 65% of farmland remains dependent on natural rainfall. Nonetheless, irrigation systems—including deep tube wells, boring, shallow tube wells, and some canal networks—are gradually expanding across the region.

If the current rainfall trend holds, farmers remain optimistic that there will be no major losses in the production of their primary crop. However, in the face of growing climate uncertainty, the need for long-term irrigation infrastructure continues to increase.