Sun, 25 October 2026
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Sun, 25 October 2026
By Naurate Nepali,Sinja (Jumla), Oct. 25: Farmers in Jumla are busy harvesting Kalimarsi, a traditional rice variety grown at one of the highest elevations in the world. From the third week of October till mid-November, farmers across all eight local levels of Jumla can be seen harvesting paddy and gathering the crop in their fields from early morning until evening.
With the Dashain festivities over, farmers have turned their attention to harvesting the ripe paddy. After spending the festival celebrating with their families, they are now busy cutting the crop in the fields and bringing it home.
Dal Bahadur Nepali of Chandan Nath Municipality-4 said he had been busy harvesting paddy immediately after Dashain. He has little time to rest as the ripe crop needs to be cut and brought home on time. Since rice is the main food source for his family throughout the year, he is focused on safely bringing in the harvest.
News that rain may begin from Tuesday has added to the urgency for Nepali and other farmers in his village. He said family members were working together to bring in the remaining paddy before the rain arrives.
Ram Shankar Dawadi, a farmer from Depalgaun in Guthichaur Rural Municipality-5, said the rush to harvest paddy had begun as soon as Dashain ended. The crop, which was still green before the festival, has ripened and is ready for harvesting, forcing farmers to return to their fields immediately after the celebrations. Many farmers in the village have already brought their paddy home. However, some have fallen behind with harvesting because they were busy celebrating Dashain.
Dawadi said farmers began harvesting the day after receiving Dashain tika. According to him, half of his paddy has already been harvested, and he plans to bring in the remainder within a day or two. Paddy is the main staple food for many farmers in Jumla. The crop planted in Jeth (mid-May to mid-June) is now ready for harvest, keeping farmers occupied with the task of bringing it home. Demand for Marshi rice has been increasing in both domestic and international markets, said Ram Bhakta Adhikari, chief of the Agriculture Development Office.
Marshi paddy conservation and promotion have been prioritised by the provincial government. Under the programme, the provincial Ministry of Agriculture has allocated Rs. 850,000 to promote organic farming and develop and conserve traditional crops, Adhikari said. Similarly, the Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Project has provided Rs. 800,000 for the Marshi paddy block development programme.
Paddy is cultivated on 2,888 hectares in the district. Of this area, 1,068 hectares, or 37 per cent, are devoted to the traditional Jumli Marshi variety, according to Adhikari.
From mid-October to the second week of March around 175 metric tonnes of Marshi rice were sold and distributed. The Agriculture Development Office said farmers earned Rs. 35 million from these sales. The Agricultural Research Centre has recommended the Chandan Nath-1 and Chandan Nath-3 rice varieties for cultivation in various parts of Jumla.
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