Early weather forecasts help farmers of Kanchanpur in harvesting rice

Previously, farmer Neelam Karki from Krishnapur municipality determined the rice harvesting time solely by looking at the sky. Now, before heading out to the field, she checks the weather forecast on her mobile phone. Data on precipitation and weather conditions is provided by the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. Farmers can also get up-to-date information via the toll-free number 1155, which allows them to make advance decisions about harvesting. Karki grows rice on five kathas of land.

Nirmala Badu, who cultivates rice on four kathas in the same municipality, shares a similar experience. According to her, advance information helps plan operations and protect crops. Telephone alerts and sirens also warn residents about rising river water levels and flood threats. Bisan Pant from Bedkot municipality noted that timely warnings reduce losses from natural disasters and protect the already harvested crop, which previously could have been damaged by unexpected rains. At the same time, he pointed out that the abundance of forecasts on social media sometimes causes confusion among farmers due to questionable reliability.

According to the Kanchanpur Agricultural Knowledge Center, out of 161,624 hectares of the total district area, 56,363 hectares are under tillage. Rice is cultivated on 48,496 hectares, and wheat on 31,210 hectares.