The Tarai Madhesh region—widely known as Nepal’s grain basket—is facing a severe agricultural crisis as below-average monsoon rainfall has disrupted paddy planting at the peak of the planting season.
Despite being the country’s major rice-producing region, Madhesh has seen only 33.78 percent of its paddy fields planted as of Sunday, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development. This is a sharp decline compared to the same period last year, when over 61 percent of paddy had already been transplanted.
The provincial cabinet declared the entire Madhesh Province a drought-affected area on July 10, after the lack of rainfall made it nearly impossible for farmers to transplant rice in time.
Read: Madhes Province Declared Drought-Hit Zone
Yamendra Upadhyay, spokesperson and secretary of the Madhesh government, said the drought has severely impacted farmers. “It is troubling that paddy planting cannot proceed in a region considered the grain basket of Nepal, simply due to the lack of irrigation and rainfall,” he said. “This will not only affect Madhesh but could have national repercussions on rice production.”
The drought conditions appeared unusually early this year, with little to no rainfall during Asar, the month traditionally associated with peak planting activity. The majority of farmers are now relying on deep boring systems to irrigate their fields, further increasing production costs and straining groundwater resources.
The provincial government is now preparing to assess the agricultural losses and implement relief and subsidy programs for affected farmers.
Read: Paddy Plantation Reaches 59 Percent Across the Country
Senior agricultural economist Tilakraj Chaulagain warned that the delayed planting could cause long-term damage. “Rice is Nepal’s most important food crop. Late transplantation reduces yield significantly,” he said. “Even if rains arrive now, over-aged seedlings will not deliver good productivity. This increases the risk of food insecurity and puts pressure on the economy.”
Agriculture contributes an estimated 24.1 percent to Nepal’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with rice being the single largest contributor. In Madhesh, most of the farming areas rely heavily on rainfall due to limited irrigation infrastructure. Only 25 percent of Nepal’s arable land has year-round irrigation, and around 70 percent depends on seasonal sources—mainly rain.
The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has forecast light to moderate rainfall over the next three days in the province. However, meteorologist Binu Maharjan said that while the monsoon trough has moved closer to Nepal, the chances of heavy rain in Madhesh remain low.
