Paddy sprouting hits farmers hard in Bardiya

By Our Correspondent, Bardiya (Gulariya), Oct. 17: Farmers in Bardiya have suffered heavy losses after ripe paddy crops, flattened by strong winds and rain in October, began germinating in the fields.

Farmers in Thapatol of Gulariya Municipality-5 were unable to harvest their crops on time because water had accumulated in their fields, destroying their year’s food supply.

Jiban Oli of Thapatol said the entire paddy crop he had planted on 10 katthas of land had germinated. He said strong winds and rain had flattened the ripe paddy, while waterlogging prevented him from harvesting it in time, causing the grains to sprout.

“The fallen paddy could not be harvested because there was too much water in the fields. Now the entire crop has germinated,” he said. According to him, the paddy grown by five households in Thapatol has become unusable.