Race against time for Nepali farmers to plant

With three quarters of the country's population working on the land and agriculture accounting for 38 per cent of GDP, it's little surprise that one of the biggest fears is about food security. Crops have been devastated, stores emptied and livestock have died.

One of the first things the villagers in Paslang tell you is how the quake has impacted on their livelihoods, because 50 animals were killed in the village.

Ram Bahadur Thapamagar lost two milking buffalo and a goat, and he wasn't counting his chickens and pigeons. The pigeons flew away shortly before the quake struck. The loss of livestock is keenly felt. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation said the impact of the earthquake on food security and agricultural livelihoods was expected to be very high.

A key issue is that farmers who miss the planting season (expected to start late May onwards) will be unable to harvest rice – the country’s staple food – again until late 2016. They are also having to consider how to rebuild their houses, and working the fields and the house at the same time is an impossible task.

The FAO and its partners are providing animal feed and veterinary supplies to ensure animals stay healthy for families relying on them for food and income.