Yellow lentil, which accounts for 60 percent of the total pulse production in the country, is being planted in 189,497 hectares around the country. The total production area for the yellow lentil has increased by 8.5 percent in six years, from 183,294 hectares in 2002/03.
“The use of advanced technology and the increase in production areas has pushed up the production and productivity of yellow lentil in the country,” says Dr Hari Dahal, spokesperson of the MoAC. According to him, productivity of yellow lentil has gone up to 850 kg per hectare, from the average of 818 ton per hectare over the earlier period of six years.
And with growing overseas demand, export of yellow lentil has also soared by 522 percent to Rs 1.31 billion during the fiscal year 2007/08.
According to the ministry’s officials, Dang, Sarlahi, Bara, Kailali, Bardia, Banke, Parsa, Sunsari and Morang are the key districts—together, they produce more than 80 percent of the total output of yellow lentil in the country. Sital, Shisir and Khajura are the major varieties of yellow lentil popular in Nepal.
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