Losses suffered by Nepal's agriculture sector and livestock and poultry due to Bhotekoshi flash flood of 26 August 2026 could cross NPR2.11bn ($13.76m), according to a recent Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA) report jointly prepared by the National Planning Commission and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA).
The NDRRMA report has revealed that paddy crops, vegetable farming, and livestock, especially milch cattle have suffered significant losses due to the flash flood.
The NDRRMA report suggests that paddy farming stretching to 1,669ha area was damaged by the flood, causing the loss for the production of 5,843 tonnes of rice. Total agricultural crop damage is estimated at NPR1.09bn ($7.22m).
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Deputy Director General Beth Bechdol in a media interview said this disaster, apart from the loss of human lives and destruction of physical infrastructure, has also washed away the means by which many families feed themselves and earn an income.
Ms Bechdol said, “Crops have been buried under mud and sediment. Fishponds have been swept away, and roads, bridges and markets have been damaged, disrupting the movement of food, animal feed, milk and other agricultural inputs.
“FAO’s preliminary assessment indicates that around 1,800 hectares of crops have been damaged, mostly paddy fields, with production losses approaching 7,700 tonnes. For farming families, these losses are about much more than the current harvest. Losing a crop can mean losing next season’s production and next month’s income.”
She said the affected area is also an important livestock-producing area. “Across 11 affected municipalities, there were more than 350,000 head of cattle, buffalo, sheep and goats, as well as 1.6m poultry. Thousands of animals have now been reported lost, and we estimate that 5% to 10% of the livestock and poultry population in these communities may have been completely lost.
Ms Bechdol said, “For a farming family, losing an animal is not only about losing food today. It can also mean losing an important source of income and future production. That is why agricultural recovery needs to be considered as part of the response, and it has to begin early.”
Nepal introduced crops and livestock insurance in January 2013. The Nepalese insurers cover various types of crops, vegetables, cereals, fruits, poultry, fishery, cattle and other farm animals under agriculture insurance.
Agriculture insurance has certainly got a foothold in Nepal; however, it is clearly livestock and poultry insurance that has emerged a winner over the years. According to government data, between financial year 2021-22 and 2025-26, Nepalese insurers issued 704,864 agricultural insurance policies and livestock and fisheries insurance covers accounted for about 23% more policies than crop insurance.