Chitwan: The National Rice Day, celebrated annually on the 15th of the Nepali month Asadh, will be observed in Chitwan district this year, with festivities taking place today.

Traditionally, the day marks the planting of the first batch of paddy and is celebrated with delicacies made of curd, flattened rice, and fruits. The Prime Minister Agriculture Modernization Project Implementation Unit in Chitwan is organizing the event at Bachauli, a notable rice cultivation area, with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' in attendance.

The Organizing Committee's Coordinator and Director General of the Agriculture Department, Narahari Prasad Ghimire, announced that the day would be commemorated by planting paddy across one hectare of land using a machine. The celebration aims to raise awareness among farmers about climate-change resilient rice breeds, agricultural modernization, and climate-friendly farming techniques.

Due to erratic weather patterns, paddy planting does not occur simultaneously across all regions. In some areas, seeds are being prepared for sowing, while in others, paddy planting is already underway due to the variable arrival of the monsoon.

Ghimire emphasized the importance of modern technologies in agriculture, noting that using such technologies can increase production by up to 30 percent. He highlighted that five paddy plantation machines are currently in use in the district, with the cost of planting paddy across one bigha of land being around Rs 5,000.

This year's National Rice Day carries the slogan "Climate-Friendly Agriculture, Increase in Rice Production."