Gold price drops by Rs 600 per tola on Friday
The price of gold has dropped by Rs 600 per tola in the domestic market on Friday.
According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 196, 200 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 196, 800 per tola on Thursday.
Similarly, the price of silver has dropped by Rs 25 and is being traded at Rs 2, 315 per tola.
Nepse surges by 4. 12 points on Thursday
The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 4. 12 points to close at 2, 789. 87 points on Thursday.
The sensitive index, however, dropped by 0. 73 points to close at 479. 03 points.
A total of 19,258,445-unit shares of 320 companies were traded for Rs 7. 46 billion.
Meanwhile, Nepal Republic Media Limited (NRM) was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 9. 99 percent. Likewise, NIC Asia Flexi CAP Fund (NICFC) was the top loser as its price fell by 8. 31 percent.
At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 1. 57 trillion.
Fertilizer stuck in Nawalparasi, farmers affected
Most cooperatives in Nawalparasi have yet to collect urea fertilizer supplied to the district, leaving farmers unable to access it.
According to the Agriculture Inputs Company’s Parasi branch, 215 metric tons of urea was sent to the district on Aug 4 via the province ministry. However, as of Tuesday morning, only 79.8 metric tons had been collected by cooperatives, with 135.2 metric tons still in storage. Out of 79 cooperatives in seven municipalities, only 34 have taken delivery.
Under the existing system, local fertilizer supply and distribution committees—coordinated by vice chairpersons or deputy mayors—assign cooperatives the responsibility of purchasing fertilizer from the Agriculture Inputs Company and selling it to farmers. Despite this arrangement, many cooperatives have shown little urgency in collecting the supply.
Deputy Mayor of Ramgram Municipality, Samjhana Chaudhary, acknowledged delays, saying some cooperatives cited a lack of funds. She said they would be instructed to collect the fertilizer immediately. Similarly, Susta Rural Municipality Vice-chairperson Gita Chaudhary said they had already directed cooperatives to arrange funds and take delivery promptly. Sarawal Rural Municipality Vice-chairperson Basmati Harijan reported that most cooperatives in her area had already collected their quota, and the rest would do so within a day or two.
Farmers have also criticized the fertilizer distribution system in some local units. While some areas distribute through cooperatives and dealers, others use a coupon system managed by ward chairs. Farmers allege that this system often benefits only the ward chair’s close associates and is the most opaque method of distribution.
Rains boost paddy transplantation in Madhes to 77 percent
Paddy transplantation is gaining momentum in Madhes Province after monsoon rains finally arrived.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, transplantation has been completed in 77 percent of paddy fields in eight districts of the province. Ministry officials say total plantation could reach 80 percent this year. They fear paddy productivity in the province will come down this year due to delayed planting.
Out of 372,645 hectares of paddy fields in the province, transplantation had been done in 285,335 hectares by August 10. The government declared eight districts of Madhes Province as disaster-hit area on July 23, as a long spell of drought created a shortage of drinking water and affected paddy production in the province. The government announced immediate relief for farmers under its Underground Irrigation Support Program. Around 22,000 farmers have applied for assistance, according to the ministry.
Paddy transplantation has been completed in most of the paddy fields in other provinces. According to the ministry, overall progress in paddy transplantation stands at 91 percent. Out of 1,378,966 hectares of paddy fields across the country, plantation has been completed in 1,254,886 hectares as at August 10. The progress in paddy transplantation had reached 98.19 percent in the same period last year.
Sudurpashchim leads with paddy transplanted in 99.72 percent of 176,000 hectares of paddy fields in the province. Karnali, which has 41,042 hectares of paddy fields, was next with 98.4 percent progress in paddy transplantation followed by Lumbini with 98 percent of 302,939 hectares planted, while Gandaki has completed transplanting in 92.77 percent of its 94,182 hectares. Similarly, progress in Bagmati stands at 93.57 percent with 112,173 hectares out of 120,545) planted. Koshi, another key paddy-producing region of the country, has completed transplantation in 94.42 percent of its paddy fields.
Paddy is Nepal’s most important food crop. In the last fiscal year, the country achieved a record harvest of 5.95m tons, up 4.04 percent from the previous year. The total value of this output was estimated at around Rs 213.3bn. Paddy accounts for roughly 20 percent of the agricultural GDP and about seven percent of the overall national GDP. Any disruption in its production impacts not only food security but also the broader economy.
