Chaite Rice Transplanted Earlier This Year Compared to Previous Years in Panchthar (Photos)

March 26, Panchthar – In this eastern hilly district, Chaite rice has been transplanted earlier this year compared to previous years. Most of the fields around Hokmakhola, Fidim-2, have been planted with Chaite rice.

According to local farmer Upendra Aryal, rice transplanting typically started after March 29 in the east, but this year it has been completed in many places much earlier. “We transplant after the seeds sown in January sprout. We have been farming here for many years. This time, the heat has been more intense. Unlike before, the seeds sprouted quickly, probably due to the increased warmth,” he explained.

Chandrakumari Shrestha, encountered in the fields, also noted that rice was transplanted sooner this year. “We face significant water scarcity here. When the soil is warmer, seeds sprout sooner, which might be a reason,” she said.

Recent rainfall has facilitated easier cultivation of Chaite rice. The rice is mainly grown in the Aul area, where there is a tradition of producing rice twice a year. Rice cultivation occurs only where sufficient irrigation is available.

Keshar Bahadur Magarati, Crop Protection Officer at the Agricultural Knowledge Center in Panchthar, confirmed that rice transplanting began a few weeks earlier this year. “Transplanting started as early as the first week of Chaitra,” he said. According to him, Chaite rice farming is practiced in Fidim Municipality, Phalgunanda, Kummayak, Hilihang, and Miklajung regions. “Last year, Chaite rice farming decreased in Panchthar due to damage and erosion to irrigation canals and fields, but with the canal restored this time, rice cultivation is expected to increase,” he added.

Last year, Chaite rice was cultivated over an area of 2,136 hectares.