Agricultural production and productivity have their overriding stake in the health of the national economy of Nepal. Agriculture being the economic mainstay of the country, the outputs from the farm stand as a major determining factor in the growth projection. Agro production has its direct bearing on the status of food security, agricultural self-reliance, import substitution and reduction in the trade deficit. This is the reason the country’s bumper rice harvests of this year have brought positive indication in the national economy despite the paralysing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a silver lining in the dark clouds that Nepal’s increased rice production has offered new hopes while the industry and trade-based economies of the world have been facing a state of critical slump. Being an agrarian economy can have its own advantages but it is not so all the time. There are years when declined agricultural outputs send the economic prospects downhill. It is because Nepal’s agricultural returns are almost entirely dependent on condition of monsoon rains.

While favourable monsoon brings the miracles in the farm, deficient and untimely precipitations and droughts cause drastic fall in agricultural productions. That makes a big difference in the writing of our growth projections. Therefore, the challenge is to maintain robust agriculture output every year while reducing the over dependence on the favour of monsoon. This calls for development of agro infrastructure, mainly the irrigation facilities. In addition, modern methods of farming and better agricultural inputs are also important. For a country renowned for its richness in water resources, prospects of building irrigation facilities and turning a new leaf in agriculture are high. However, these kinds of strides in the agriculture sector are yet to be made in Nepal.

Irrigation infrastructure is still more urgent for the farmers engaged in winter farming. If there are no winter rains, as has happened this year, farmers who grow wheat and winter vegetables heavily depend on the water from irrigation canal. Farmers in Saptari district were encouraged to do winter farming as the West Koshi canal was flowing with water. But the water stopped in the canal as wheat and vegetables started growing. The green crops started to wilt and die. The farmers are desperate because they are going to face big losses if the water flow does not resume in the canal. The West Koshi canal was constructed under the Koshi agreement which provides irrigation facility to the local farmer.

From the start of this winter farming season, the Indian side has stopped supplying water in the canal. With no winter rains falling this year, the wheat farmers of Saptari are struggling with the dry situation that will severely affect their harvests. Some farmers are dealing with this unexpected crisis by operating small pumps but such mode of irrigation is not reliable. This method also calls for a lot of time, energy and fuel costs. The provincial government should initiate talks with the Indian side as soon as possible to address this urgent problem faced by the farmers.