KANCHANPUR: Although the area under cultivation has decreased in recent years in the Sudurpaschim Province, the productivity has increased.

It is said that the production has increased even though the area under main cereal crops decreased, as farmers started improving farming methods and became oriented towards commercialism.

According to the statistics of the Sudurpaschim Agriculture Development Directorate, paddy was cultivated on 183,317 hectares in the province in fiscal year 2079/80 BS, and the production was 648,924 metric tonnes. In that financial year, the rice productivity in this province was 3.54.

Similarly, wheat was cultivated on an area of 144,582 hectares and the total production was 331,092 metric tonnes in the Fiscal Year 2079/80. The wheat productivity in that fiscal year was 2.29.

Maize was cultivated on an area of 50,607 hectares and the total production was 104,250 metric tonnes. The productivity of maize was 2.06. Likewise, the productivity of millet produced on 117,112 hectares was 1.14.

Although the production area decreased in the fiscal year 2080/81 BS, productivity and paddy production increased. In that fiscal year, even though the rice cultivation area decreased by 4,242 hectares, production and productivity increased.

Paddy cultivation was done over 179,046 hectares in that fiscal year and the total production was 672,928 metric tonnes compared to the previous fiscal year. The productivity is 3.76.

In fiscal year 2080/81, wheat was cultivated on 139,732 hectares and the production reaching 328,069 metric tonnes. The productivity increased to 2.35.

Similarly, maize was produced on 49,258 hectares with a productivity of 2.17. Maize production has increased to 106,997 metric tonnes in this fiscal year.

In the fiscal year 2082/83 BS, the area under paddy cultivation decreased to 177,230 hectares while productivity increased to 3.88. The production was 686,887 metric tonnes.

Information Officer of the Directorate, Keshav Raj Pandey, stated that crop production has been increasing in Sudurpaschim.

“Crop production is high in Kailali and Kanchanpur in the Far-Western region. Every year, production and productivity have increased due to improvements in farming methods and high-quality seeds,” Pandey explained.
Lately, the government has been providing farmers with improved varieties of seeds at a 50 percent subsidy.

Apart from the use of improved variety of seeds, agriculturalists say that the use of organic fertilisers by farmers, the availability of irrigation, government subsidies and technical support have contributed to the increased production.