![\"Nepals](\"https:\/\/www.nepalisansar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/nepals-paddy-production.jpg\" "\\"Nepals")
<\/p>\nIn the recent update on Nepal\u2019s paddy production, the country has recorded the highest paddy production of 5.6 million tons this fiscal year 2018-19.<\/p>\n
However, Nepal\u2019s rice import continues to be steadily on the rise, despite bumper paddy production throughout the last three years.<\/p>\n
The country imported rice worth NPR 278 million within the first 10 months of the current fiscal compared to NPR 241 in FY 2017-18. Similarly, in 2016-17 Nepal\u2019s rice imports were worth NPR 202 million.<\/p>\n
According to Nepal Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD) Ministry, changing habits of consumers were responsible for the increasing rice imports in the country. Most Nepalis prefer white rice or refined rice imported from India.<\/p>\n
Despite the country\u2019s ability to meet the rising demand, consumers\u2019 varying taste have forced Nepal to import rice said MoALD.<\/p>\n
According to MoALD, Nepal\u2019s current market demand for rice stands at around 4 million tons at the moment and its local production meets only close to 3.4 million tons.<\/p>\n
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This current fiscal 2018-19, Nepal registered a paddy\/rice increase by 9.8 percent compared to 5.1 million tons in the previous fiscal.<\/p>\n
Similarly, the country\u2019s paddy productivity reached 3.8 tons per hectare in the current fiscal, an increase of 8.6 percent compared to FY 2017-18.<\/p>\n
The International Rice Research Institute\u00a0 \u2013 Nepal\u2019s (IRRI-Nepal) five-year work plan along with a few other places and programs are responsible for the success of Nepal\u2019s increased paddy productivity, said MoALD Spokesperson Tej Bahadur Subedi.<\/p>\n
However, increased productivity and production have not been able to override Nepal\u2019s increasing rice imports.<\/p>\n
This is a matter of concern as rice contributes to 20 percent of Nepal\u2019s agriculture sector, which has a 27 percent in Nepal\u2019s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).<\/p>\n
Meanwhile on June 30, 2019, Nepal marked the beginning of the crop plantation season with Ropain \u2013 the rice planting festival.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In the recent update on Nepal\u2019s paddy production, the country has recorded the highest paddy production…<\/span><\/p>\n