Nepali Celebrate Ashad 15 "National Paddy Day"

Ashad 15

Today celebrated as the National Paddy Day. The celebration included singing, dancing and a feast of beaten rice and curd (Dahi-Chiura). The day holds special significance culturally as well as economically as paddy contributes significantly to the total agricultural produce in the country However, in the month which usually sees the plantation and harvest of crops, the lack of rain water and fertilizers have left farmers across the country without much enthusiasm as such.

Majority of the farmers have not even begun planting their crops yet. Not just maize, but the seeds of paddy and wheat have also started drying up. Though the monsoon season is rife across the country, there has not been substantial rainfall till now. The fields readied for plantation are dry. Hundreds of thousands of hectares of land which depend on rain water for irrigation have not witnessed any planting. According to the data of the Ministry for Agriculture, plantation takes place in more than 1.4 million hectares of land across the country. The day holds special significance culturally as well as economically as paddy contributes significantly to the total agricultural produce in the country.