Lumpy skin in oxen affects paddy plantations in Khotang

By Raj Kumar Bhattarai, Khotang, July 27: Paddy plantation is completed in only 50 per cent of the paddy field in Khotang district as many oxen died and got infected by the lumpy skin disease (LSD).

Farmers whose ox/oxen died or got infected with the LSD could not plough their fields forcing them to keep their land barren this paddy plantation season.

“Last year until July 18, almost 70 per cent of paddy plantation was done in Khotang. However, this year, until the final week of July, only 50 per cent of the paddy plantation has been completed,” informed the district’s Agriculture Knowledge Centre (AKC).

Citing that a majority of the farmers in Khotang depend on oxen to plough their fields, the effects of the LSD prevented many from preparing their fields for paddy plantation.

Of the 12,898 hectares of arable land for paddy, the crop has been planted in only 6,449 hectares.

“Alongside cattle affected with the LSD, several places in the district received minimum rain this year” said Sanjay Kumar Pandit, information officer of Khotang’s AKC.

Regarding the local levels, paddy was planted in 75 per cent of the land in Diprung Chuichumma Rural Municipality, which was the highest, and 25 per cent in Rawabesi Rural Municipality, which was the lowest.

Farmers complained that the LSD shattered their dreams as they could not plant paddy in time.

Meanwhile, some farmers are renting or borrowing oxen to plough their fields in turn. The AKC said that the plantation rate might increase by some percentage in the coming days.

Officials informed that more than 300 cattle (cows and oxen) died of LSD in Khotang in the past three months.