KATHMANDU, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Nepal is projected to see rise in paddy output by 15.7 percent this year due to timely and an above-average monsoon, a preliminary statistics of Department of Agriculture (DoA) of Nepal revealed.
The increase helps the Himalayan country to boost the economy battered last year by earthquake and blockade in southern border points.
The DoA under the Ministry of Agriculture Development said that the output of summer paddy is projected to jump to 5.54 million tonnes this year from last year's production of 4.29 million tonnes, the highest since 2011.
Yubak Dhoj G.C, director general of the DoA told Xinhua on Tuesday that Nepal would be close to self sufficient in paddy production this year.
According to DoA, Nepal's annual demand for paddy is 5.6 million tonnes and this year's production is close to the requirement.
"The country imports rice irrespective of domestic production of paddy because of demand for high value rice with better taste as living standard of people is rising," said the official.
"That's why, we have been implementing the program to produce high value rice in 32 districts since last year starting with 20 districts," he said.
Nepal has a total of 75 districts.
Due to better rains, the land covered by the paddy cultivation grew this year by 11 percent to 1.51 million hectares resulting in growth in output, according to DoA.
This is the highest paddy acreage since 2011-12. In the earlier two years, paddy cultivation area had shrunk.
As Nepal's agriculture system is predominantly rain-fed, paddy cultivation and output depend on monsoon. Round-the-year irrigation facility is only available for 18 percent of arable land at the moment, according to the DoA.
Nepal's economic growth has been significantly reliant on agriculture whose share is close to one third of gross domestic product.
