Bhutan's Rice Planting Delayed as Dry Weather Strains Irrigation and Farm Incomes

Dagana farmers wait for water as the planting window narrows

By mid July 2026, farmers in Khagochen village, under Kana Gewog in Dagana, would normally have finished transplanting rice. Instead, prolonged dry conditions have left many terraces uncultivated. Some fields still hold maize while households wait for rain to replenish the water needed for paddy cultivation.

The disruption, continuing as of July 21, reaches beyond one village. Delayed monsoon rain has unsettled the planting calendar in several parts of Bhutan. Farmers with seedlings ready for transplantation are waiting for enough water to prepare their fields. Those who have already planted worry that weak irrigation flows and high temperatures will dry out the young plants.

Punakha's recent harvest figures show the cost of unreliable water. The district produced 7,761 metric tonnes of irrigated paddy in 2023, down 299 tonnes from the previous year. Agriculture officials linked the decline mainly to water shortages, which delayed transplantation, dried seedlings and left some land uncultivated.

Bhutan is also preparing for possible effects from a Super El Niño, a strong warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean that can change weather patterns far from its origin. El Niño can weaken or delay the South Asian monsoon, which supplies much of the rain needed by farms, rivers and reservoirs across the Himalayas and the plains.

For households in Khagochen, the immediate decision is whether enough water will arrive in time to plant. A late start shortens the period available for rice to mature before harvest and exposes the crop to further heat, pests and disease. Officials are responding with agricultural weather advice, portable pumps and support for alternative crops, while longer term irrigation projects offer an example of how reliable water can bring abandoned farmland back into use.

Why a delayed start can weaken the harvest

Rice seedlings are usually grown in a nursery before being moved into fields that have been softened and levelled with water. After transplantation, they need steady moisture while their roots become established. If the soil dries during this stage, the seedlings can wilt or die, leaving farmers to replant or abandon part of their land.

Tashi, a farmer from Dagana, described summer weather as harder to predict than in previous years. He said the usual planting schedule had already passed in many areas at lower elevations, where farmers depend heavily on irrigation supplies, and warned that rising temperatures could damage seedlings even after late transplantation.

Daily weather conditions this summer have not been consistent like in the past. By this time, farmers at the lowest elevations dependent on the water supply would have completed paddy transplantation.

Tika Ram Dahal, another farmer, said delayed transplantation could reduce the crop's growing period. Rice planted late may produce fewer tillers, the stems that carry grain. It may also encounter water shortages or less favourable temperatures during later stages of growth.

Farmers face extra spending before they know whether a harvest will cover their costs. Renting pumps, buying fuel, repairing channels and paying workers to move water from rivers or streams can make cultivation uneconomic for households with little cash. Seed, labour, fertiliser and irrigation expenses must be paid while the weather remains uncertain.

A missed planting window therefore affects both the crop and the household budget. Even when land and seedlings are available, a family may decide it cannot afford the additional water costs. Planting maize or another crop, reducing the area under rice, or leaving a terrace fallow become practical responses to that pressure.

Punakha shows how water shortages reach production figures

Punakha accounted for about 19 percent of Bhutan's irrigated paddy production in 2023, followed by Paro with 17 percent and Wangdue with 11 percent. Water stress in such an important rice growing district has consequences for the national harvest as well as individual farms.

The district's decline of 299 tonnes to 7,761 tonnes means its previous harvest was 8,060 tonnes. That represents a reduction of about 3.7 percent. Agriculture officials attributed the decline mainly to insufficient water: some farmers could not transplant on time, others left fields uncultivated, and some seedlings dried out. Farmers near riverbanks used pumps to keep parts of their land supplied.

The recent sequence connects an earlier production loss with the current planting disruption:

• 2023: Punakha harvested 7,761 metric tonnes of irrigated paddy, 299 tonnes less than the previous year, with water shortages cited as the main cause.
• Mid July 2026: Many terraces in Khagochen remained uncultivated when rice transplantation would normally have been completed.

Traditional open irrigation channels carry water from springs, streams and rivers to many Bhutanese terraces. They can serve farms well when their sources are full. During prolonged dry weather, water can seep into the ground before reaching fields, while communities sharing a source must divide a shrinking supply.

Landslides and floods can also damage these channels. Khagochen's farmers are facing delayed rain together with declining irrigation supplies, making the problem larger than a single missed planting date. Uncertainty over water can change what farmers grow and how much land they are willing to cultivate.

El Niño brings risks from dry spells and sudden rain

El Niño is part of a natural climate cycle that begins in the Pacific Ocean. Changes in ocean temperatures and winds alter atmospheric circulation, the movement of air that helps shape weather around the world. During a strong event, those changes can affect the timing and strength of monsoon rainfall.

South Asian farming regions often face a higher risk of delayed rain, dry spells and unusual heat during El Niño. The effects vary by location. A forecast for a drier season can still include rain arriving in short, intense bursts after weeks with little moisture.

Bhutan's mountain communities consequently face two types of damage within the same season. Dry weather can weaken crops and reduce irrigation supplies. A sudden downpour can then cause flash floods, erosion and landslides, damaging farmland and the channels needed to carry water to it.

Regional climate assessments have warned that Bhutan and other Hindu Kush Himalayan countries may experience below average rainfall and above average temperatures during some monsoon seasons. The region spans eight countries and supplies water to nearly two billion people. Farming communities depend on a short wet season, so the timing of rain matters alongside the amount that falls.

Short term forecasts can help farmers adjust planting, irrigation and crop protection. Seasonal forecasts describe broader conditions and are less precise at village level. Local observations, field visits and advice for particular crops help translate that broader outlook into decisions suited to each farm.

Weather advice is being tied to decisions in the field

The Department of Agriculture, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, says it is monitoring conditions and supporting farmers through weather based agricultural advisories. The National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology provides technical support for their preparation.

Tshering Pem of the Department of Agriculture said the purpose is to help farmers act on weather information. She cited guidance supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Meteorological Organization, which regard agricultural weather services as a useful way to reduce risks associated with climate conditions. Pem described the link between a forecast and a farming decision:

Agrometeorological advisories are designed to go beyond information sharing by helping farmers translate weather signals into timely and practical decisions in the field.

Field officers are advising farmers to adjust sowing and harvesting dates, use irrigation more efficiently and pump water from rivers and streams where feasible. Mulch, a covering placed over the soil, can reduce evaporation and help retain moisture. Officers are also recommending varieties that need less water and closer checks for pests and diseases, which can spread when crops are stressed by heat or insufficient moisture.

The ministry has sent written advisories to districts and local governments for distribution through gewogs and villages. Agriculture officers and extension workers are visiting communities to compare forecast information with actual conditions in the fields.

Remote communities remain difficult to reach. Limited phone coverage can restrict access to updates, and written notices may arrive after a farmer has already made a planting decision. Research published in the Bhutanese Journal of Agriculture has found that awareness of weather information does not always lead to its use in farm planning.

The Department of Agriculture says a broad assessment of advisory performance is still under way, although monitoring systems have been established. Practical results include whether farmers planted at a safer time, lost fewer seedlings or harvested more grain. Those outcomes matter more to a household than the number of notices distributed.

Emergency support covers pumps, seeds and crop protection

The Department of Agriculture is keeping stocks of fertiliser and plant protection chemicals for emergency needs. It is also mobilising portable water pumps for places where equipment and accessible water sources make pumping possible.

Farmers with severe water shortages are being encouraged to consider alternative crops. The department says it can arrange seeds for crops that require less water when households are willing to switch. That choice may protect some income, while also affecting food preferences, markets and the amount of rice available for local consumption.

The ministry has instructed districts to report rainfall, irrigation water availability, crop conditions, and pest and disease outbreaks regularly. Districts growing paddy must immediately report critical events, including prolonged dry spells, flash floods and severe pest outbreaks.

A national committee on Super El Niño preparedness includes the Prime Minister, the Home Affairs Minister, the Cabinet Secretary and secretaries from relevant ministries. The Department of Local Governance and Disaster Management serves as its secretariat. Within the agriculture ministry, a technical task force brings together officials responsible for farming, livestock, markets, trade and food agencies.

These arrangements connect weather monitoring with decisions about farm assistance, food supplies and local response. Their practical value depends on how quickly information and equipment reach villages, particularly when several districts need help with water shortages at the same time.

Phangyul and Kazhi offer a working irrigation example

In Phangyul and Kazhi gewogs, a 38 kilometre irrigation system using pressurised pipes has restored access to water for farming and household use. The project shows how infrastructure can revive land that prolonged water scarcity had pushed out of production.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock built the system through a climate resilience project supported by the United Nations Development Programme and financed by the Green Climate Fund. It cost about US$6.08 million, including US$4.44 million from the fund and US$1.6 million in government financing.

The scheme serves 285 households and 2,458 people and is expected to irrigate 1,241 acres of agricultural land. More than 1,000 acres in the two gewogs had remained fallow for years, causing an estimated average annual economic loss of Nu. 64 million.

Sumcho Pem, a farmer from Phangyul Goenpa, had not transplanted paddy for about 20 years before the new system arrived. Nearly 80 percent of her holding of more than 10 acres had remained unused because water was scarce.

Kinzang, who had left the village for about 16 years, said the arrival of irrigation water helped make returning possible. His experience connects dependable water with more than crop production: it can also support household income and the continued life of rural communities.

The piped system is designed to reduce water loss between the source and distribution points and to withstand severe weather. During lean periods, it takes 70 percent of the source flow while leaving 30 percent as environmental flow, in line with Bhutan's water regulations. Environmental flow is water kept in the source to support the surrounding ecosystem.

Keeping water flowing requires more than new pipes

Replacing open channels with piped systems can reduce leakage, but new infrastructure needs careful planning. Water sources must be protected, communities need agreed maintenance responsibilities, and projects must preserve enough flow for ecosystems and people downstream.

Solar powered pumps, drip irrigation and sprinklers can help farmers use water more carefully. Drip systems deliver small quantities close to plant roots, while sprinklers distribute water across fields. For small farms, purchasing and maintaining this equipment may be difficult without public support, training and dependable maintenance services.

The National Crop and Livestock Insurance Scheme is another tool being promoted. Insurance can help households recover financially after crop losses, reducing pressure to sell livestock or leave land unused following a bad season. The harvest itself still depends on suitable growing conditions and access to water.

Experience in several farming areas of neighbouring Nepal illustrates the costs of a delayed monsoon. Heat and weak irrigation left fields cracked and seedlings withered. Some farmers paid for boreholes or diesel pumps, while others left land fallow. Rain arriving late may bring relief without fully repairing the damage caused by a missed planting window.

Bhutan's response therefore combines immediate measures with investments that take longer to deliver. Pumps can help where a usable source remains available. Better irrigation infrastructure can reduce losses along the route to the farm. Timely advice and financial protection address other parts of the same household risk.

A weaker rice harvest would reach households and markets

A fall in paddy production would affect household food supplies, farm income and rice costs. Bhutan relies on a combination of domestic production and imports. A weaker local harvest can increase pressure on markets if regional supplies are also affected by drought or export restrictions.

Farmers carry much of the immediate financial risk because their cultivation costs come before the harvest. When water fails after those expenses have been paid, families may lose both the expected grain and the income they planned to earn from it.

Crop failure can also encourage rural workers to seek earnings elsewhere. Fewer people then remain to maintain terraces and irrigation channels, adding another difficulty for communities already coping with unreliable water.

Khagochen's dry terraces bring these pressures together. The current season tests how effectively forecasts, local government, infrastructure and household support can work together. Immediate assistance can help protect seedlings, while lasting improvements to irrigation can reduce exposure when another dry period arrives.

The Bottom Line

• By mid July 2026, dry conditions and delayed monsoon rain had postponed rice transplantation in Khagochen and disrupted planting in several parts of Bhutan.
• Dagana farmers fear that late planting, heat and unreliable irrigation will shorten the growing period and reduce yields.
• Punakha harvested 7,761 metric tonnes of irrigated paddy in 2023, down 299 tonnes, with water shortages cited as the main cause.
• Officials are responding with weather advisories, portable pumps, alternative crop seeds and emergency agricultural supplies.
• Agricultural advisory performance is still being assessed, while remote communities face difficulties receiving timely information.
• The 38 kilometre irrigation system in Phangyul and Kazhi serves 285 households and is expected to irrigate 1,241 acres.
• Piped irrigation, solar powered pumps, drip systems, sprinklers and crop insurance are among the measures intended to reduce farming risks.
• Preparedness must address both prolonged dry spells and sudden heavy rainfall during the monsoon.