Dr. Shambhu Khatiwada (Nepal Agriculture Research Council, Nepal) Dr. Shambhu Khatiwada commenced by underscoring the
in South Asia project’ under the auspices of joint project
significance of agriculture and rice to Nepal: about two- uniting the International Rice Research Institute and Nepal thirds of the Nepali population is engaged in agriculture con- Agricultural Research Council. Specifically, the project aimed tributing to 35 percent of GDP; agricultural growth stands at
to develop and disseminate water-saving rice varieties that
3.0 percent per annum for a population that continues to
can be sustainably produced across the region. The pro-
grow. Despite this, food deficits prevail, more than 43 dis- ject’s importance rose given the depleting amount of rainfall tricts exist under food deficits and around 10 are deeply vul- that Nepal’s received over the past few years. Distribution of nerable. Rice is the staple food crop and is grown in various
rainfall is also erratic, with 75 percent occurring from June
conditions in Nepal, upland, deepwater, irrigated, lowlands
to September; and dry spells of drought occurs during dif-
and paddy lands. But as we go ahead, gaps in rice yield will
ferent stages of crop cultivation. Dr. Khatiwada continued
only rise due to several constraints—biotic and abiotic stress,
by expanding on the application of different water-saving
low fertilizer use, inadequate seeds, higher cost of cultiva- technologies in different conditions across Nepal. He contion, low market pricing and poor irrigation facilities. To address the irrigation problem, Dr. Khatiwada and his team were engaged in the ‘Water Saving Rice Technologies
cluded by affirming the use and advantages of these innovations in enhancing yield across different environmental settings—upland, lowland or hilly.
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