July 23: The country has seen 68 percent of paddy plantation as of July 21 this year, according to data of the Department of Agriculture (DoA). The figure is 20 percent less compared to 88 percent of paddy cultivation across the country during the same period of last year.    
Lack of sufficient rainfall proportionally in all areas of the country is to blame in part for this decline, said Prakash Kumar Sanjel, spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.    
The delay in the arrival of monsoon this year in Madhes Province, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province in particular has caused a decline in the paddy plantation, said the department.    
According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division, there is a partial impact of monsoon winds in the country. The low-pressure line of monsoon has remained towards the south of its average place, resulting in comparatively low rainfall, said meteorologist Sanjib Adhikari. "Now, there is a break in monsoon. There is a decline in rainfall. It is not that rainfall has not occurred at all. There has been low rainfall as compared to the past," he said.    
Lack of substantial monsoon rains has caused difficulty in the paddy cultivation this year, said another meteorologist Rojan Lamichhane.    
"Monsoon rains seem weak than average. The pattern of monsoon is not the same every year. Monsoon seems weak this year. There is no possibility of rainfall for the next two days or three," he said. However, rainfall is taking place fragmentally across the country, he said.    
Paddy plantation in Sudurpaschim Province is almost over. The department estimates that 90-95 per cent paddy would be planted till August 17 as paddy plantation take place till mid-August in the Tarai.    
According to Climate Analysis Branch of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, only 37 per cent monsoon rain has taken place across the country so far in this monsoon season.    
Meteorologist at the Branch, Sudarshan Humagain, said a total of 538.2 millimeters of rainfall has occurred in average across the country from June 1 to July 21. A total of 1,462 millimeters of rainfall occurred in four months (June 13 to October 2) in the country last year. Monsoon had entered Nepal on June 14 this year. -- RSS