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The government has fixed the minimum support price of paddy for fiscal year 2023/24 much earlier this year compared to last year. 

The cabinet meeting held on July 11 fixed the minimum support price. The minimum support price of paddy has been set at Rs 3,198 per quintal for thick rice, which is Rs 231 higher than the previous fiscal year. Similarly, the minimum support price of medium rice has been fixed at Rs 3,362 per quintal, which is Rs 262 more than the previous fiscal year. 

Last year, the government had fixed the minimum support price for paddy in October. This delay compelled farmers to sell paddy at lower prices. As a result, many farmers couldn’t even recover their cost of production. Since government agencies such as the Food Management and Trading Company Ltd and the Farm Modernization Project also delayed paddy procurement, farmers were left with no option but to accept whatever prices the traders offered. 

As per the standard, the government should fix the minimum support price before the seedbed is prepared. Although the government fixed the support price during the paddy transplantation season, agriculture expert Krishna Prasad Poudel said it was still late. “The government should fix the minimum support price before the seedbed is prepared. Since spring paddy is transplanted in March, the price should be fixed a month before that,” Poudel said. “This would enable farmers to compare their cost of production with the prices offered and decide whether to cultivate paddy. If the returns are high, they would cultivate it in more areas.”

Prem Dangal, chairman of the National Farmers’ Commission, said the minimum support price would mean nothing until the government agrees to buy all the paddy that farmers grow. “The government agencies procured only 31,000 tons of paddy last year, although 2m tons of paddy are sold in the market every year,” Dangal added. “The government should make necessary preparations to procure all the paddy that farmers intend to sell. Otherwise, there is no point in fixing a minimum support price.” 

However, as the minimum support price fixed by the government is higher than the market price, government agencies have been facing difficulty in selling paddy procured from farmers. As a result, they procured paddy at a much later date last year.

Sharmila Neupane Subedi, the spokesperson for the Food Management and Trading Company Ltd, said they would soon issue a circular to all their subordinate offices to make necessary preparations for paddy procurement.

Normal life has been affected due to heavy rain taking place in various districts of Lumbini Province, including Rupandehi, since last night.

Heavy precipitation has been recorded in Rupandehi, Palpa, Nawalparasi, Pyuthan and surrounding places.

The risk of flooding has increased in settlements close to the bank of Tinau river which has become swollen following the heavy rainfall.

The Tinau Flood Measurement Centre Butwal said that the water level in the Tinau river has crossed the danger mark and it continues to rise.

People living in settlements near the river bank and at low-lying places have been notified to evacuate to safe places by noon today considering the risk of flooding in the areas.

The Meteorological Forecasting Division has issued an alert to residents of low-lying areas and settlements close to the river banks, and those preparing for travel to take precaution.

Main roads obstructed due to heavy rainfall

Meanwhile, roads have been blocked by landslides triggered by incessant rain at various places in Palpa, Arghakhanchi, Pyuthan, among the districts of the province.

The Highway Security and Traffic Management Office Butwal said the Butwal-Palpa, Gorusinge-Sandhikharka and Bhaluwang-Pyuthan roads have been obstructed by landslides at different places.

The weather will be partly to generally cloudy throughout the country today due to the impact of the monsoon wind.

Light to moderate precipitation accompanied by lightning is taking place at some places of Bagmati, Gandaki, Lumbini and Karnali Provinces and at a few places in the rest of the provinces at present, the Meteorological Forecasting Division said.

The weather will be partly to generally cloudy across the country in the afternoon today. There is a possibility of light to moderate rainfall along with lightning at some places of Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces and at a few places in the rest of the country.

The Division has urged one and all to adopt alertness as there are also chances of occurrence of heavy rainfall along with thunderbolts at one or two places of Koshi, Madhes, Lumbini, Gandaki and Sudurpaschim provinces.

Likewise, it will be generally cloudy throughout the country tonight.

The Division stated in its weather bulletin that there is a possibility of light to moderate rain accompanied by lightning at a few places of the hilly region in all provinces and at one or two places in the rest of the regions.

It said there are also chances of heavy rainfall accompanied by lightning at one or two places of Koshi, Lumbini and Sudurpaschim Provinces.

The Ministry of Health and Population carried out monitoring at pharmacies across the country including the Kathmandu Valley (Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts).

The monitoring aims to check whether or not the pharmacies are selling quality medicines and pharmaceutical products in the right way, said Minister Mohan Bahadur Basnet. 

As part of the monitoring drive, a government team including the minister himself carried out monitoring at Time Medical Pharmacy at Patan in Lalitpur, Sewa Health Care Pvt. Ltd. at Ekantakuna, and Alka Hospital Pharmacy at Jawalakhel.

During the monitoring, Time Medical and Sewa Health Care were found selling date-expired medicines and the medicines that are not allowed to sell, said Minister Basnet.

On the occasion, the minister said the pharmacies selling date-expired medicines would be taken action as per the law.

Director General of the Department of Drug Administration Narayan Prasad Dhakal, assistant Chief District Officer of the District Administration Office, Lalitpur Amardeep Sunsar, representatives of the Ministry of Health and Population, and the Narcotics Control Bureau, employees of the Department and media-persons were other members of the team.

According to the Ministry, 20 monitoring teams were mobilized in the Kathmandu Valley today.

Separate mechanisms have been created in all 77 districts to monitor pharmacies.