Paddy production in Bagmati Province has decreased by 1.37 percent this year due to floods and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall on September 27-28, according to the Bagmati Province Agriculture Development Directorate.

In the current fiscal year, paddy was planted on 105,415 hectares of land in the province, yielding 408,316 metric tons at an average rate of 3.87 metric tons per hectare, said Nabin Kunwar, an agriculture economist at the directorate.

In comparison, during the previous fiscal year (FY 2023/24), paddy cultivation covered 109,151 hectares, producing 413,988 metric tons. Despite the overall decline, Kunwar noted that paddy production increased in certain districts, including Chitwan, Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, and Nuwakot, compared to last year.

Chitwan, the largest paddy-producing district in Bagmati Province, cultivated paddy on 23,700 hectares this year, yielding 98,355 metric tons at an average rate of 4.15 metric tons per hectare. -- RSS