The country’s overall rice production saw an increase of over five per cent in the last five years. From 78,000 metric tons in 2012, the rice yield rose to 85,000 metric tons last year.
The agriculture and forests minister revealed this at the Meet the Press session on Friday. The increase is being attributed to the growth in the number of farmers taking up rice cultivation.
The current total land area under rice cultivation stands at 53,000 acres, an increase of 748 acres from 2012. The rice self sufficiency increased by over five per cent, which is 30,000 metric tons from 2012. Seven districts produce excess rice.
“Punakha is 267 per cent self sufficient,” shared the agriculture minister. “In the second place is Tsirang with almost 216 per cent, Paro in the third spot, followed by Lhuentse, Dagana and Samtse.”
Lyonpo Yeshey Dorji added the ministry has plans to cultivate spring paddy three times in fifteen months.
Beginning this year, the ministry has taken up spring paddy cultivation on commercial scale in four areas in three districts. The places are Sarpang, Gelegphu, Chhuzanggang, Yoeseltse in Samtse and Khamaedthang in Samdrup Jongkhar.
“In Sarpang and Gelephu, spring paddy was cultivated on 36 acres of rice fields, 185 acres in Chhuzanggang, 118 in Yoeseltse and 94 acres in Khamaedthang,” said the minister.
“In total, the land under spring rice cultivation comes to 533 acres and it produced 77 metric tons, contributing 77,128 kilograms of rice to the overall production.”
The minister added several factors, such as shortage of labour and controlling weeds without the use of chemicals, are affecting rice production.
The crop sector alone contributed about Nu 14bn to the country’s economy.
