Tanahun. With the aim of attracting farmers towards Chaite paddy cultivation, a ‘Chaite Paddy Cultivation Promotion Program’ has been launched in Tanahun. The Agricultural Knowledge Center has stated that Chaite paddy sowing is ongoing in most of the irrigated areas.
The center has facilitated the Chaite Paddy Cultivation Promotion Program by providing 75 to 85 percent subsidy to farmers, informed Kiran Pariyar, Crop Protection Officer and Information Officer of the Agricultural Knowledge Center. He said that the subsidy has been arranged with the aim of reducing rice imports.
‘This program has been launched to encourage farmers who are abandoning Chaite rice cultivation, as they are abandoning cultivation on fertile land,’ he said, ‘This program will help farmers especially when the cultivable land has reached a state of being barren.’
Information Officer Pariyar says that it will also help attract people to the agricultural profession. According to Information Officer Pariyar, subsidies have been arranged for the purchase of transportation, seeds, irrigation, and equipment under the program. There is a 75 percent subsidy for rice seeds and 85 percent subsidy for the construction and maintenance of irrigation canals. Thirteen farmer groups and cooperatives have been included in this program to cultivate Chaite paddy in 2,940 ropani fields.
A budget of Rs. 5 million has been allocated for the program. The center has also stated that agreements have been reached with farmer groups and cooperatives. Under the program, subsidies have been provided for threshers for threshing paddy, mini-tillers for plowing fields, and tractors. A budget of Rs. 2 million has been allocated for the construction of irrigation (wells).
Chaite paddy is mainly used for chiura, but when the fields are barren, it is imported from India, according to Information Officer Pariyar. He said that despite the high demand from farmers, it is difficult to cover everyone due to the low budget. Sowing is underway in large fields in the district, including Satrasaya, Sepabagaincha, Kalesti, Purkot, Myagde, Tanahunsur, Atrauli, Aabukhaireni, Sange fields in Gajarkot.
He said, ‘So far, 85 percent of the irrigated area has been sown with Chaite rice.’ He said that this program was launched because Chaite rice cultivation has been decreasing for the past few years. According to him, Chaite rice cultivation has been decreasing every year. Last year, Chaite rice cultivation was done on an area of 6,000 hectares.
Last year, 8,704 metric tons of rice were produced in 1,802 hectares of Chaite rice. Similarly, in the fiscal year 2079/80, 11,183 metric tons of rice were produced from 2,470 hectares of land.
The center has stated that the Chaite rice cultivation promotion program is expected to increase rice production. The district has an area of about 51,550 hectares of cultivable land. Of this, irrigation facilities are available in six thousand 347 hectares of area all year round.
Since there is 13 thousand 583 hectares of irrigated area and seven thousand 236 hectares of area with unseasonal irrigation facilities, farmers cultivate rice even with the help of rainwater. The center has estimated that Chaite rice cultivation will be less this year due to lack of timely rain.
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