Massive impact on paddy yield in Paro

The dzongkhag and gewog extension agents in Paro have conducted a preliminary survey required for damage assessment caused by the recent tropical cyclone Phailin on paddy harvest in Paro. The preliminary report found that approximately 65% of paddy production has been affected in nine gewogs except Naja.

The preliminary report also states that most of the damage was caused due to paddy being left out in the fields to be dried, followed by damage to irrigation channel resulting in paddy being submerged by debris and overflow of water in the fields.

A gewog that was badly affected by cyclone Phailin is Doteng, with damage rate at about 80%, where 0.72 acres belonging to six households were affected. Massive crop damage was caused due to the damage of the irrigation channel from Doteng to Shari. The total crop yield loss estimated was approximately 2,162 kgs of paddy.

Dop Shari gewog accounted to 90% followed by Hungrel gewog at 80%, Wangchang and Luni 70% each, Tsento 50%, Dogar 40% and Shaba 30%. Not aware of the rain, farmers in these gewogs had left out their paddy yield in the fields to be dried after harvesting.

In Lamgong gewog, some of the harvested paddy was washed away by the overflow of water in the field and the damage rate accounted to 70%.

The paddy harvest in Paro valley normally starts from the 1st week of October and harvesting is completed by the end of the same month. This year, the heavy rains brought by the cyclone Phailin coincided with the harvest time in Paro, and therefore, resulted in the huge paddy harvest loss.

In Punakha, since most of the gewogs had not started paddy harvesting, no major damage was reported. According to dzongkhag officials there, a detailed survey is under way to determine the actual loss of paddy production and financial loss for the entire dzongkhag.

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