Rains and strong winds damaged the rice harvest in Banke

The precipitation was accompanied by strong winds, which damaged mature seed crops in several areas of the district. According to Jhaman Singh Wali, manager of the Sakar agricultural cooperative in Rapti Sonari, the bad weather affected approximately 154 bighas of land where farmers were growing rice for seed. The specialist notes that damage during the harvesting period could cause a seed shortage for future sowing operations. Previously, the cooperative provided farmers with seed material for growing rice with a subsequent buyout of the harvest for further supply for cultivation. At the same time, this year the rice seedlings emerged well thanks to favorable precipitation before the onset of the recent rain and wind.

Sujit Sharma, information officer at the Agriculture Knowledge Center in Banke, confirmed the damage to the crop during the ripening period. Currently, reports are coming in from various parts of the district, although the exact scale of losses has not yet been calculated. According to the center's data, out of 54,526 hectares of total arable land in Banke, rice is traditionally cultivated on approximately 33,570 hectares. This year, this crop was planted on an area of 33,503 hectares.