Unseasonal Rain Damages Paddy Planted on 10,000 Hectares of Land

SIRAHA: Unseasonal rainfall caused by the Montha cyclone has damaged paddy crops across more than 10,000 hectares in the district, according to an initial report from local authorities.

The agriculture sections of eight municipalities and nine rural municipalities reported that paddy cultivated on 10,728 hectares was affected. Lahan municipality was the worst hit, with 2,232 hectares of crops destroyed, followed by Aurahi and Naraha municipalities.

Prakash Sah, Chief of the Agriculture Section at Lahan municipality, said farmers had planted improved and drought-resilient rice varieties, including Basmati, in a bid to secure higher market prices.

“The unseasonal rains and storm caused the paddy plants to rot just before harvest, leading to a significant reduction in production,” Sah added.

Authorities are assessing the full scale of the losses and planning support measures for affected farmers.