Early weather warnings ease paddy harvesting for Kanchanpur farmers

KANCHANPUR: For years, Nilam Karki had only one way to decide when to harvest her paddy: look up at the sky and hope the clouds offered a clear answer.

Now, before stepping into her fields, the farmer from Saraswati Tole in Krishnapur municipality-2 in Kanchanpur district, reaches for her mobile phone. A quick check of the weather forecast tells her whether it is safe to cut the crop or better to wait.

The shift from watching the sky to relying on weather forecasts has brought a measure of certainty to Karki’s harvest decisions.

Information on the likelihood of rain, expected rainfall and other weather conditions is available from the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. Farmers can also obtain information from the Department’s 1155 toll-free number for updates.

”Earlier, we had to look at the clouds and make our own judgment about when to harvest. Now, weather forecasts have made it much easier” Karki gushed. ”We call 1155, get the latest information and decide when to harvest.”

Karki, who grows paddy on five katthas of land, now checks the forecast before making important decisions related to farming.