Rain elates farmers in Dhanusha

By Ajay Kumar Sah, Dhanusha, Sept 3: The rainfall that occurred in the last week of August- after a long hiatus during this year's monsoon- has brought cheers to the farmers in the Dhanusha district.     

The absence of rainfall for weeks in many parts of the country including Madhesh Province coupled with a lack of irrigation facilities had worried the farmers for paddy cultivation that usually takes place in monsoon. Most of the farmers in the country including the province are largely dependent on rain-fed farming.     

Farmers, who experienced a dry spell for an extended period during this year, are now excited with the rainfall occurring since last Wednesday.     

Sukhan Mahato, a farmer from Naktajhij of Mithila Municipality-2 shared that paddy fields were drying up in absence of rainfall this monsoon. The continuation of rainfall has enabled farmers here to let out a sigh of relief.     

Mahato, who was otherwise afraid of zilch production, is now hopeful that there will be an increase in rice production this year.     

Similarly, Jogindra Yadav, another farmer from Bateshwor Rural Municipality-5, gushed that they found a ray of hope with the recent rainfall. According to him, they were worrying that paddy would yield less in absence of adequate rainfall. The intermittent rainfall, lack of irrigation facility and chemical fertilizer had earlier rendered them, worrywart.     

Likewise, another farmer from the same locality Dipo Yadav's one bigha of land has been left barren. "There was no adequate rainfall this monsoon to cultivate paddy," rued Yadav, explaining, "The water pumped from deep boring is not sufficient to irrigate his entire arable land. There is no proper irrigation system in place either."     

The recent rainfall, popularly known as Bhadaure jhari, has instilled hope in him and he is considering farming in his barren land yet again. "The lands where there were paddy plantations had begun going dry and developing cracks due to dearth of rains. Now, those dry paddy-planted lands are being inundated which is favourable for the paddy," he described.     

Although the recent rainfall helps the paddy grow further, the time is almost over for land cultivation to plant new paddy, according to him.     

Of the total arable land in the province, paddy is cultivated in 45,450 hectares of land, according to the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives in the Province.     

 Farmers in eight districts in the province have so far planted paddy in 95 per cent of the land, Ministry's Information Officer Manish Kumar Pal shared. There is no cent per cent plantation in any year in the province owing to various factors, he added. Rice is a staple in the Madhes Province. (RSS)