Heavy rains and winds wreck paddy, fruit and vegetable crops in western Nepal

In Kailali, Bardiya, Salyan and Dang, heavy rainfall and windstorms over the last fortnight have ruined paddy that was already cut and drying in the fields, as well as fruit and vegetable crops. Farmers like Ramdin Chaudhary and Nanda Saud saw their harvested rice flood and begin to sprout, while growers of oranges, kiwifruit, tomatoes and bananas reported total loss of their produce and infrastructure. Agricultural officials from the Agriculture Knowledge Centre and various rural municipalities estimate that the early-maturing paddy varieties have been hit hardest, potentially lowering district output by 5 to 7 percent and causing losses worth around Rs50 million in several areas.

Technical teams are now collecting damage data to facilitate government relief. The repeated pattern of rain-induced flooding and wind damage has heightened fears of reduced food supplies and financial hardship for families dependent on agriculture.