KATHMANDU, Jan 4 (NNN-XINHUA) – Nepali farmers are expected to harvest a record of 5.95 million tonnes of rice last year, as good monsoon rains and the availability of chemical fertilisers helped boost productivity, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development said, yesterday.
The figure marks a 4.04-percent rise over 5.72 million tonnes in 2023, the ministry said, in a press statement.
The expected bumper harvest came, as padi was cultivated in 1.42 million hectares of land in 2024, less than 1.43 million hectares in 2023, according to the ministry.
Padi/rice is the biggest contributor to the agriculture’s gross domestic product share in Nepal, as well as, one of the key contributors to the national economy, and rice is the staple food for most Nepalis.
The expected rice production in 2024 shall be “the highest ever” in the country, said Mahanand Joshi, a senior agricultural economist at the ministry.
“Good and timely arrival of monsoon rains and a better supply of chemical fertilisers helped to reap a bumper harvest,” he told Xinhua.
He noted that, padi fields in Nepal were not affected by pests in 2024, and the impact of the massive floods and landslides in late Sept was limited on padi production.– NNN-XINHUA
