DAMBAR K SHRESTHA TILLING FIELDS: Paddy terraces in Panchkhal that by now should have been thick with rice, were just being planted this week because of the delayed monsoon.

The food emergency facing the country this year is so serious that the country's political leadership needs to immediately start working together to address its consequences.

In addition to writing a new constitution and keeping the peace process on track, a consensus is now needed to meet a nationwide food shortfall this winter because the crisis could have serious political and social repercussions.

A new report released by the Wor ld Food Programme (WFP) says 3.4 million Nepalis will be directly affected and will need urgent food aid.Investment in agriculture, which has been stagnating, needs to be raised, especially by irrigating more farmland.

The global fuel, food and financial crisis has been magnified by a domestic shortfall caused by two years of drought, growing population and political instability.

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