Farmers from Kachankawal rural municipality in Jhapa district have been worried about not getting a proper market for the paddy they produce. At present, there is no sale of chaite dhan, the paddy cultivated in Chait month, according to farmer Durga Prasad Thapa from Kanchankawal rural municipality 2.

The rice is ripe in the field for harvest. But the slump in price has distressed farmers. They were selling the rice for Rs 1,050 to Rs 1,200 per maan some days ago. Also, the member of the rice super zone coordination committee, Thapa, viewed the government as encouraging paddy production; its sales and marketing should also be managed. The paddy production will increase this year, he said.

Another farmer, Toyanath Mishra from Kachankawal-3, said, “Although we sold a maan of rice for Rs 1,200 in the beginning, the price has declined heavily now—Rs 900 per maan. It is a peak time for paddy harvest and sale, but the declining price is cause for concern.” For a week, the paddy failed to get a proper price. As the chaite dhan is not as dry as normal rice, it is not practical for farmers to store it.

So, the farmers have no option but to sell it immediately after threshing in the field. “Despite loss, we are bound to sell chaite dhan,” Mishra shared, adding that if it is not sold on time, it will decay. Earlier, on March 28, the government had decided to fix the minimum support price of chaite dhan at Rs 2,707 per quintal.

Such rice should not have more than 18 percent moisture. The farmers are worried because they are forced to sell the rice at a price less than the minimum support price fixed by the government.