Rice production is expected to decrease this year due to adverse weather conditions during the harvesting season.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development reported that heavy rains on September 27-28 negatively impacted rice crops across many regions. Continued light to moderate rains have also been unfavorable for rice farming.

Mahananda Joshi, the information officer at the ministry, stated that poor weather conditions during harvesting period are likely to reduce production. The September 27-28 rains particularly affected the Madhesh and Bagmati provinces, damaging crops in multiple areas. In Madhesh Province alone, rice crops on 57,000 hectares were impacted, though official loss assessment is still pending.

In Siraha and Saptari districts, soil erosion has led to earth deposits in paddy fields, further complicating the situation. Current estimates suggest that rice production may decline by up to two percent this year.

Dr Mathura Yadav, coordinator of the National Rice Research Programme, noted that the significant rainfall on September 27-28 also affected crops in Koshi, Madhesh, and Bagmati provinces. He added that farmers’ access to weather forecasts can help them decide on optimal harvesting times to minimize losses.

The ministry has scheduled a provincial seminar for the second week of December to collect comprehensive data on agricultural losses caused by monsoon-related disasters. Representatives from all relevant ministries in each province will attend the seminar, and the collected data will provide a national overview of the impact, Joshi said. -- RSS