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NEPAL is a small (141,000 km2) country in the central Himalayan mountains between India and China. It consists of low tropical plains and central plateaus that rise up to the world's highest peaks. The population in 1999 was 23.4 million. Agriculture provides a livelihood for 80% of the population and accounts for 41%of the GDP.
General information
- GNI per capita PPP$, 2000: 1,370
- Internal renewable water resources: 170 km3
- Main food consumed: rice, maize, wheat, oil and fat, millet and sorghum
- Rice consumption, 1999: 93.4 kg milled rice per person per year
Production constraints
Yields in 2000 remained low. There are several constraints to sustainable rice production in Nepal:
- Blast and bacterial blight
- Stem borers, hispa, leaf roller, and planthoppers
- Prolonged drought or prolonged submergence because of excess rain; unpredictable and erratic rainfall
- Adverse topography, declining soil fertility, and Zn deficiency
- Deterioration of irrigation facilities
- Cold injury, strong wind, and hail storms
- Ineffective and inadequate input/credit supplies
- Weak research and extension support
- Popular use of rice straw as feed for live-stock. Farmers often sacrifice grain yields
and grow tall varieties with high straw yields to meet feed requirements of their livestock
Production season |
|
|
|
Planting |
Harvesting |
Main season |
Jun-Aug |
Sep-Nov |
Basic statistics, Nepal |
|
1985 |
1990 |
1995 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
Rice |
Area harvested (ha) |
1,391,040 |
1,455,170 |
1,496,790 |
1,506,340 |
1,514,210 |
1,550,000 |
Yield (t/ha) |
2.0 |
2.4 |
2.4 |
2.4 |
2.5 |
2.6 |
Production (t) |
2,804,490 |
3,502,160 |
3,578,830 |
3,640,860 |
3,709,770 |
4,030,100 |
Rice imports (t) |
7,412 |
11,594 |
40,000 |
11,100 |
11,100 |
na |
Paddy imports (t) |
3,619 |
5,500 |
0 |
na |
na |
na |
Rice exports (t) |
59,077 |
0 |
0 |
7,876 |
7,876 |
na |
Paddy exports (t) |
109 |
0 |
0 |
na |
na |
na |
Others |
Population, total (x103) |
16,503 |
18,772 |
21,272 |
22,847 |
23,385 |
na |
Population, agriculture (x103) |
15,458 |
17,580 |
19,862 |
21,294 |
21,782 |
na |
Agricultural area (x103 ha) |
4,313 |
4,150 |
4,725 |
4,725 |
na |
na |
Irrigated agricultural area (x103 ha) |
760 |
950 |
1,134 |
1,135 |
na |
na |
Total fertilizer consumption (t) |
43,409 |
72,682 |
93,699 |
121,300 |
na |
na |
Tractors used in agric. (no.) |
183,373 |
182,228 |
172,596 |
155,000 |
na |
na |
Source: FAOSTAT online database. |
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