The Agriculture Department disclosed today that a staggering 71 percent of non-paddy cultivated land suffered damage during the 2023–24 Maha season, primarily due to heavy rains and floods.
According to the report, a total of 68,131 hectares of land, cultivated with vegetables and other crops, succumbed to destruction across the country during the 2023–24 period, owing to the adverse weather conditions.
Furthermore, heavy rains and floods also ravaged 100,000 hectares of paddy fields cultivated during the Maha season, exacerbating agricultural losses.
In addition to natural calamities, another 23,874 hectares of land, cultivated with vegetables and other crops, were afflicted by pests and diseases, constituting 27 percent of the total damaged cultivated land.
Nevertheless, April has seen a resurgence in vegetable and fruit cultivation, resulting in increased harvests.
The Agriculture Department noted that favorable weather conditions, particularly during February and March, have contributed to the success of vegetable and other crop cultivation, leading to a significant decrease in vegetable prices.
