Nepal, Oct. 9 -- Heavy rains and strong winds over the past two weeks have damaged crops across western Nepal. Paddy ready for harvest has been ruined in the Tarai, while fruit and vegetable crops have suffered damage in the hills. Farmers who had been preparing to bring in their harvest have watched months of work go to waste. Local governments have begun sending agricultural technicians to assess the damage.

In Kailali, rain arrived just as farmers were cutting and drying their paddy. Ramdin Chaudhary of Kanari in ward 15 of Dhangadhi Sub-metropolitan City had cultivated paddy on 10 kattha (0.34 hectares) of land this year. After the crop ripened, he cut it and spread it out to dry in the field. But continuous rain on Tuesday and Wedne...