February 6: The production area of red lentil, a major crop of Nepal, is gradually decreasing in recent years. The data of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development shows that the area of land where red lentils are cultivated has decreased. The production of red lentil has also decreased due to the decline in farming area. As a result, imports have increased while exports have decreased.

According to the data of the ministry, 262,835 metric tons of red lentils were produced in Nepal in the fiscal year 2076/77. According to the data of the ministry, red lentil was cultivated on 212,876 hectares of land that year.

In the following years, the area of cultivation of red lentils has been decreasing. In FY 2077/78, red lentils were cultivated on 202,416 hectares of land. According to government data, 246,000 metric tons of red lentil were produced that year. By the fiscal year 2078/79, the production area reduced to 198,400 hectares and the production stood at 252,000 metric tons. The ministry has classified red lentils as the main legume crop of Nepal.

Joint Secretary of the Ministry Dr Ram Krishna Shrestha said that the attraction of farmers towards red lentil cultivation is decreasing. The attraction of farmers in red lentil cultivation is gradually decreasing due to various factors such as the outbreak of diseases, the complicated process of planting crops, the risk of crop destruction due to winter rains. During the winter, farmers are more attracted towards maize cultivation than lentil farming, he said. Dr Shrestha added that there is also a problem in competing in the market because red lentil produced in Nepal is more expensive than those imported from abroad.

According to the data of the Department of Customs, 7,766 metric tons of red lentils worth Rs 781 million in the first six months of the current fiscal year. During the same period, around 2100 metric tons of red lentils worth 302.6 million were exported from Nepal.

Rahul Agarwal, vice president of Nepal Rice Oil and Lentil Industry Association, said that Nepali agriculture is lagging behind lack of attention of the state in marketing the produced crops, farmers not getting fertilizer on time and farmers not being encouraged.

According to him, until a few years ago, the government used to give incentives of up to 4 percent in customs duty for exporting red lentils. It has been stopped now. Instead, the businessmen complain that the government is now charging more export duty. In the past, Nepal exported lentils to Bangladesh, Canada, Australia and other countries. Agarwal said that after the removal of incentives, exports have decreased and imports have increased.