Flax production in Nepal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The production of flax (Linum usitatissimum) and other oilseed crops peak in the temperate climates of the middle mountain and hill farming regions in Nepal.[1] Flax matures in approximately 90 to 125 days and develops most rapidly under the cool, short season of growing. The middle hill region of the Lamjung district (the epicenter of the earthquake devastating Nepal in April 2015) exemplifies an ideal climate for flax production experiencing consistently cool temperatures for most of the year.[1][2] The shallow rooting system makes the plant especially susceptible to drought and excess moisture in the soil but easier to harvest.[3] Most cash crops are grown in the hill regions of Nepal as this is where two-thirds of the subsistence farmers reside, who need to produce just enough food to feed themselves and their families.[1][2]
Oilseed production in Nepal was largely replaced by grain crops which contain a higher caloric value but requires higher labor and overall decrease in nutritional quality for the Nepalese.[4] Flax production is seen to be increasing as Nepal's reported yields in 2012 are 5000 hectograms per hectare (Hg/Ha) and 5358 Hg/Ha in 2013 referring to a production quantity of 7500 tons and 7672 tons respectively.[5] The cool and temperate climate of the mid-hill regions in Nepal present great potential for farmers to maximize their linseed yields and the yield of proceeding cash-crops through disease and pest control.[3] The hill regions of the Lamjung district is less than 170 km from the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, which represents an ideal market for trading of the flax seeds or any by-products of the crop made by Nepalese farmers and their families.[1][2][4]
Graphed data from http://faostat.fao.org/ Archived 2016-10-05 at the Wayback Machine