Locals of Bajura are likely to be hit hard by food crisis as the Food Management and Trade Company Limited, Kolti Branch, is about to run out of stock of rice with only 148 quintals remaining.
Locals at Rudhi village of Swamikartik Khapar Rural Municipality, Bajura, have been facing acute food crisis for the past eight years. As many as 156 families are facing this problem.
MARTADI, June 27: Muktikot village of Swamikartik Khapar Rural Municipality-1 in Bajura has suffered food shortage. The prolonged drought and COVID-19 crisis led to the emergence of food crisis in the village.
Local Bal Bahadur BK said the village is home to around 400 Dalit families and they are struggling to meet their daily food requirements.
They are out of work due to COVID-19 crisis. “We have neither job nor food,” he said. India is the labour destination for a majority of youths in the village. But with the outbreak of second wave of the pandemic, they returned homes and are staying idle. The local production is sufficient to the requirement just for a month. They rely on market for almost throughout the year, according to locals.
Muktikot is gripped by the food crisis and malnutrition is the common health issue among children here, according to Swamikartik Rural Municipality information officer Kuber Shahi. Children, pregnant and aged people are the most affected. Malnutrition is one of the reasons for the child mortality rate in the village.
The village has not got any support from the federal and province governments yet. The Poor House Hold Identity Board’s-2072 report states that 75 percent households in Swamikartik fall below the poverty line. Out of 2,185 households, 1,038 are living with absolute poverty, the report shows.
Muktikot village of Swamikartik Khapar Rural Municipality-1 in Bajura has suffered food shortage. The prolonged drought and COVID-19 crisis led to the emergence of food crisis in the village. Local Bal Bahadur BK said the village is home to around 400 Dalit families and they are struggling to meet their daily food requirements.
With the use of hybrid seeds in the Sudurpaschim Province, the production of major crops like rice, maize and wheat is on the rise in recent years here.
Irrigation facility has been further extended and farmers are becoming more aware about the use of modern agricultural technology and which have also contributed to the rise of production and productivity, according to Regional Agricultural Development Directorate.
Directorate director Yagya Raj Joshi said however food production in six hilly districts was not sufficient to meet the demand. As he said, food there is supplied from the Tarai districts to address the hilly districts' food requirements. Food production in Doti, Achham, Bajhang, Bajura, Darchula and Baitadi is not sufficient to address food needs of population in these districts.
Kailali and Kanchanpur in the southern plain and Dadeldhura in the hilly region contribute to the adjustment of food crisis in the above mentioned six districts.
Of nine districts in the province, Kailai and Kanchanpur see more productions of rice, maize and wheat than hilly districts. In the fiscal year 2075-76 BS, rice cultivation was conducted in 181,398 hectares land in the province and production was 610,328 metric tonnes and the per hectare production was 3.36 metric tonnes.
Rice was planted on 187,032 hectares of land till fiscal year 2019/20 where 658,429 metric tonnes of rice was produced and productivity has reached four metric tonnes per hectares.
Similarly, 93,386 metric tonnes of maize was produced as it was planted on 50,569 hectares of land in the fiscal year 2018/19 and the productivity was 1.85 metric tonnes per hectare. Maize production had reached 92,875 metric tonnes in the fiscal year 2019/20 and productivity was 2 metric tonnes as maize was planted on 51,332 hectares of land.
Likewise, wheat was planted on 142,739 hectares of land in the fiscal year 2018/19 where 320,082 metric tonnes and productivity was 2.24 metric tonnes per hectares. 338,659 metric tonnes of wheat was produced on 153,146 hectares of land in the fiscal year 2019/20 and the productivity was two metric tonnes per hectares.
Although wheat was planted on more area in the fiscal year 2019/20 as compared to previous year, its productivity was found decreased due to unfavorable weather.
As per the data, millet was produced on 18,087 hectares of land, buckwheat on 348 hectares of land and barley on 9,119 hectares of land in the province and its productivity was found increased as compared to previous fiscal year.
Except this, the province is producing 35,320 metric tonnes of oil, 48,408, pulses, 27,981metric tonnes potatoes, 241,157 metric tonnes sugarcane, 345134 fresh vegetables annually.
Similarly, 244 thousand metric tonnes milk, 31 thousand metric tonnes meat products. The province has 54 per cent land having irrigation facility and rest of the land is dependent on rain water. The government has prioritized to enhance the productivity.
According to Panchashakti Seed Company Pvt Ltd operator Bishnuraj Burlakoti, the production in agriculture sector in the province is witnessed increasing gradually.
He added that it was becoming possible due to quality and high-yielding seeds.
