Development of climate-adapted rice verities, farming technology necessary: PM Prachanda

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has said that it was necessary to speed up the development of climate-adapted rice verities and farming technology as well as to make the technology transfer at the farmer level more systematic.

In a message on the occasion of the 20th National Paddy Day and Paddy Planting Day, 2080, Prime Minister Prachanda shared that there was a negative impact on paddy production due to drought, untimely rain, flood, landslide and plant disease resulting from climate change.

Extending best wishes to all brothers and sisters on the occasion of Paddy Cultivation Day, he mentioned that it was the responsibility of the state to ensure citizens’ right to food and nutrition security.

The Prime Minister recalled that the Constitution-2072 has enshrined the right to food as the fundamental right and the Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act, 2075 has also been formulated to implement the Right to Food.

The message reads: “The incumbent government has been implementing different programmes including expansion of irrigation facility, grant in chemical fertilizer and seeds, technology expansion, research and development and implementation of minimum support price with priority to increase paddy production in the context when paddy has the major role to maintain food security and food sovereignty in the country.”

He presented the fact that the import of rice is increasing every year as domestic production of paddy is not sufficient to meet the increasing demand though the government’s initiatives have played a significant role in increasing paddy production.

“It seems that it will be difficult to achieve the goal of increasing paddy production in the status quo and this may have an adverse impact on food security,” reads the message.

PM Prachanda called on all citizens to contribute to making the country self-dependent on rice replacing imports by increasing rice production in a sustainable manner through the development and use of climate-adapted verities of rice and production technology.

He urged all to focus on building a prosperous economy by increasing paddy production and productivity at the initiative of all.

The 20th National Paddy Day and Paddy Planting Day is being observed across the nation today under the slogan ‘Climate Adapted Farmer-Friendly Technology, Increase in Paddy Production’.