Nepal farmers jump into muddy fields to celebrate rice festival

Nepali farmers across the country mark the 15th of the Nepali month of Asar every year with celebrations.

Standing on fields flooded by the onset of monsoon, the farmer's dance and sling mud on each other as they plant the seedlings.

Locals also feast on curd and beaten rice, traditionally eaten on the day.

A staple food, rice accounts for almost half of cereal production in Nepal.

The country produced over five million tonnes of paddy last year, according to the agriculture ministry.

Government data shows that early 70 per cent of Nepal's population depends directly on agriculture, and the sector contributes to about a third of the country's GDP.