Paddy harvest likely to equal last year’s bumper level due to monsoon boost

Agriculture experts say Nepal had a chance to reap a record harvest because of a timely monsoon and abundant farm labour, but the government blew up the opportunity by failing to ensure a strong fertiliser supply mechanism.

Nepali farmers are likely to bring in as much paddy as last year's bumper harvest, according to preliminary estimates of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, which has asserted that output will not fall despite a severe shortage of chemical fertiliser during transplantation and top dressing.