The recent devastating flash floods in Nepal, which have killed more than 1,300 people, have washed away more than 1,800 hectares of farmland. This will lead to increased food imports, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) of the country, The Kathmandu Post reports.

“Many farmers have lost their fields and crops, while some no longer have farmland to cultivate,” said Sudha Sapkota, head of the monitoring and evaluation division at the Nepal Agricultural Research Council.

Rice, pulses, and soybean crops were destroyed along the Bhotekoshi riverbed in northern Nepal, where heavy flooding occurred on August 26.

According to preliminary data from the NDRRMA, food production in the affected areas is expected to fall by 7,686 tons. This, experts say, will lead to an increase in their imports.

Nepal imported paddy and rice worth more than 32.5 billion rupees (over $215 million) in the fiscal year 2025-26, which ended in July.