Kathmandu, July 7: Paddy transplantation across Nepal has declined by 12.62 percentage points compared to the same period last year, with delayed monsoon rains slowing planting activities in major farming areas.

According to the Department of Agriculture, paddy has been transplanted on 443,595 hectares, or 32.38 percent, of the country’s cultivable paddy land as of Monday. During the same period last year, plantation had reached 45 percent.

The country has more than 1.3 million hectares of land suitable for paddy cultivation.

Province-wise, Sudurpaschim has recorded the highest plantation at 57.9 percent, followed by Gandaki (41 percent), Karnali (40.5 percent), Lumbini (37.3 percent), Bagmati (33.2 percent), Koshi (31.5 percent) and Madhes (15.6 percent).

Director General of the Department of Agriculture Prakash Kumar Sanjel said the delayed onset and uneven distribution of the monsoon, driven by changing weather patterns, have disrupted this year’s planting schedule. He expressed hope that plantation will accelerate once rainfall becomes widespread across the country.

The slow progress in Madhes Province, Nepal’s principal rice-producing region, has raised concerns over this year’s harvest. The southern plains account for nearly 70 percent of the country’s total rice production, while the hill region contributes the remaining 30 percent.