Nepal’s rice cultivation area has continued to decline over the years, raising concerns about the country’s growing dependence on imported food. According to recent economic activity data, although productivity has shown some improvement, the steady reduction in cultivated land is affecting overall domestic production.
In the fiscal year 2073/74, rice was cultivated across approximately 1.552 million hectares nationwide. By fiscal year 2082/83, this figure had fallen to around 1.377 million hectares. Compared to the previous fiscal year, when rice cultivation covered 1.421 million hectares, the area declined by 4.21% within just one year. This follows a 2.92% decline recorded in the preceding year.
Among Nepal’s major food crops, rice has experienced the sharpest reduction in cultivated area over the last nine years, decreasing by 36.82%. Maize cultivation area has fallen by 23.43%, while wheat declined by 14.22%. Millet and barley also recorded declines of 5.58% and 0.39%, respectively.
Although rice productivity increased by 4.14% during the current fiscal year, the reduction in cultivated land resulted in total production falling by nearly 150,000 metric tons compared to the previous year. During the first six months of fiscal year 2082/83, overall food and other crop production dropped by 6.76%, reversing the 1.77% growth recorded a year earlier. Rice continues to remain Nepal’s largest food crop, contributing 37.46% of total food and crop production.
While traditional food crop cultivation is declining, some agricultural segments are expanding. Vegetable and horticulture coverage increased by 9.10% over the last nine years, while fruit cultivation grew by 0.79% and spice crops expanded by 6.66%. Regionally, Bagmati and Karnali provinces recorded growth in food crop area, while Madhesh Province continued to hold the largest share of rice cultivation at 25.96%, whereas Karnali recorded the lowest share at 2.92%.
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