Economic growth of Nepal and role of Agriculture

Economic growth of Nepal depends on the growth of the agriculture sector. It contributes to one third of the total Gross Domestic Product of the country . 80% of the total population resides in the rural area. They are involved in farming directly or indirectly. These farmers grows a number of crops throughout the year in substantial manner. Commercial Agriculture is in slow pace. There are different constraints pulling back the farming production and productivity. In the existing constrains a new problem is added for the whole world, pandemic of Covid-19.  It has severely affected the agriculture of the developing countries like Nepal. 

Due to the pandemic, Federal Government of Nepal imposed a complete lockdown in the country from the month of March, as the first corona case was confirmed, in a student who returned from Wuhan province of China. Due to the lockdown of the country, transportation was completely shut down. Lockdown at the time of rice cultivation has affected its cultivation practices. This has predicted to cause the decrease in productivity of the rice in the current fiscal year. 

Rice is the principle food grain crop in Nepal followed by maize and wheat. The productivity of the rice was 3.2 tones per hector. Total land area of 1.5 million hector was under cultivation. 

The package of practices for a better yield of rice includes, proper seed selection, seed sowing, land preparation, transplanting, water and fertilizer management, weed management, harvesting, threshing and storage. 

Fertilizer management is very crucial part in the cultivation of the rice crop. Fertilizer required by the plant can not be fulfilled by organic sources only, but chemical doses are supplied as need. The requirement of the fertilizers depends upon the soil condition, nutrient availability, etc.  The general recommended dose for the rice cultivation is 100:30:30 NPK kg per hector. Fertilizers are applied as basal dose, at tillering stage and panicle initiation stage. Any shortage of fertilizers at this critical reduces the productivity of the rice. Nepalese farmer suffers from shortage of fertilizers every year, at the peak time of requirement of the fertilizers. In the year 2020 too, farmers are facing shortage of the fertilizers. Due to the Covid-19, transportation of  fertilizers to farmers was difficult. Nepalese agriculture is mainly dependent on India for the fertilizers as Nepal has no fertilizer manufacturing units. The farmers were unable to get required fertilizers for their rice.  Farmers are compelled to buy fertilizers for high price rate from black market. The cost of production has increased for the farmers. Poor farmers who can not afford fertilizers for higher price are in terrible situation of losing their crop. Stunt growth, pest attack, empty grains, etc. might be the result from these farmers.  

Rice is a semi aquatic plant and can withstand water lodging  condition throughout lifetime. The water requirement is high. The Nepalese farmers mostly depend on rain water. Monsoon starts generally starts from the month of June. Pre monsoon from the March.

Solar radiation has so much to do with production, since the production of food is only possible by the process of  photosynthesis. The intensity and duration of light significantly affect the rice production. Rice is short day plant. But the varieties cultivated nowadays are photo-insensitive and the intensity of light is most. The yield attributes viz. number of panicle, 1000 grain weight, high density grain, number of grains per panicle, etc. were found to be higher in normal light intensity. Since the rainfall is more active, the cloudy days may decrease the photosynthetic rate of the crop. This results in the decrease in productivity. 

The moisture content in the rice straw and grains becomes high due to high water accumulation. The condition is suitable for the development of disease pathogens.  

As Rice plays important role in GDP and economic growth of our country, government must brings programs to increase the production of paddy. Use of modern technology and farming techniques can also help to increase the production of rich in Nepal.