FMTC Fixes Support Price of Paddy in Jhapa

The state-owned Food Management and Trading Company (FMTC) Limited has announced plans to purchase 50,000 quintals of paddy from farmers in Jhapa.

According to Chulmaya Lowa, chief of the FMTC office in Birtamod, the support price for paddy has been set at Rs 3,580.62 per quintal, which is reportedly higher than the prevailing market rate.

In the first phase, FMTC will procure 15,000 quintals of Sonamansuli and 5,000 quintals of Ranjitmansuli paddy. Overall, the company aims to buy at least 50,000 quintals from local farmers.

This year, Jhapa district has produced 385,196.5 metric tons of paddy. Despite a reduction in the area of paddy plantation compared to previous years, production has increased, according to the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Jhapa.

Chetraj Bhandari, information officer at the center, stated that paddy was cultivated on 75,459 hectares this year, achieving a productivity of 5.10 metric tons per hectare. This marks an increase of 8,791 metric tons in total production compared to last year.

Bhandari attributed the rise in production to favorable weather conditions, timely availability of fertilizers, and the use of high-quality, advanced paddy seeds. -- RSS