Cultivation of Boro paddy has started in Jhapa. Plantation of the new paddy has already started even when many farmers have not completed harvesting of the paddy.
With the introduction of new species of paddy, farmers can now grow paddy three times a year in the district. Boro paddy should be planted by the second week of Mangsir.
Paddy is especially planted up to twice a year. But in recent times, farmers have started producing paddy thrice a year. Earlier, farmers in Kachankawal district had grown paddy thrice a year.
Multipurpose Joint Agricultural Firm of Kamal Rural Municipality-1, Jhapa has planted paddy within the month of Mangsir.
According to Rabindra Subedi, chief of the Prime Minister’s Agriculture Modernisation Project Implementation Unit, Bhadrapur, various uses of paddy farming have been taking place in Jhapa and the attraction of farmers towards a new variety of Boro paddy farming has started.
According to Subedi, this confirms the possibility of cultivating paddy up to three times a year in the district where there is irrigation facility.
He also said that the multi-purpose joint agricultural firm has cultivated Boro paddy in 8 katthas of land.
Subedi said that the farmers may have planted paddy in 8 to 10 hectares of land only in the month of Mangsir.
According to agricultural technicians, the paddy planted this month will be ready to be harvested in 90 to 95 days.
It is said that this will help in food security and will also benefit the farmers. While cultivating winter and rainy paddy, farmers have repeatedly complained that they have not received the price of paddy.
For the expansion of paddy cultivation, the Prime Minister’s Agriculture Modernisation Project Implementation Unit, Jhapa has been providing support in sustaining the infrastructure, production and productivity condition, mechanisation, processing and marketing condition of Paddy Superzone area.
It has also supported the farmers with required technology. Paddy Superzone programme was implemented in some wards of Kachankawal and Bhadrapur in the district from the fiscal year 2015/16. Lately, this programme has been implemented in 15 municipalities of Jhapa since the fiscal year 2019/20.
The farmers have been cultivating paddy in spring and autumn. Boro paddy farming started only a few years ago.
Source : TRN,
