Farmers are worried as winter crops have been affected due to a long spell of drought in the district. There hasbeen no rainfall for four months, thus adding to their woes, shared farmers. Crops like wheat, millet, mustard, potato and other agricultural products are getting wilted.
Most of the farmers in the district are dependent on rain for irrigation. "We had to leave our fertile lands uncultivated due to paucity of water," said a farmer, Leela Devi Poudel of Kushma Municipality-1.
Out of the total arable land for winter crops in the district, 63 per cent is dependent on rain and the remaining 37 get irrigation facility, said the District Agriculture Knowledge Centre (DAKC), Parbat.
Without rain, there may be at least a 20 per cent drop in the production of winter crops this year as compared to last year, said Chief of DAKC, Manita Thapa. Kushma Municipality, Phalebas Municipality and Bihadi Rural Municipalities have witnessed the impact of drought, he said.
Source: RSS
