Mechanization of rice harvest

Farmers in Bhojpur, Kapilvastu and Banke say they cannot find enough workers for the peak paddy harvest, and in Kapilvastu and Banke many are turning to machines to fill the gap. With young people leaving villages for cities and foreign employment, rural households struggle to find the labour needed to cut, bundle, carry and thresh rice. In Bhojpur, farmers say the traditional melapat system of shared labour is breaking down and farm work now falls largely on women and the elderly. In Kapilvastu and Banke, farmers report using threshers, and in Banke reapers too, saying the machines are faster and cheaper than hired labour, whose wages are rising.

The machines have also given local operators a source of income, though operators in Banke say moving equipment between scattered plots costs fuel and time. Sujita Sharma of the Agriculture Knowledge Center in Banke said mechanization is helping cut crop losses and raise output. Krishna Bikram KC, president of the Farmers' Federation in Banke, said that for the shift to last, the government should provide not only subsidies for machines but also the skills to run them and access to markets.