Even though the global media attention on Nepal has faded, those affected the most by the earthquakes face a long and difficult road to rebuild their livelihoods and recover from the disaster.

Food production is still significantly disrupted in the six most-affected districts, in the hills near the China border. Crop planting and harvesting has been interrupted, there is still a lack of food and shelter for livestock and many communities can't afford to repair damaged irrigation systems.

In these vulnerable communities, four out of five households depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. According to a report produced by the World Food Programme and the Nepal Food Security Monitoring System in May, on average 35 percent of households in the 11 worst-affected districts were limiting meal portions or reducing the number of meals per day.

FAO continues to support the most vulnerable farmers in the six worst-affected districts to help them return to planting crops, to protect stores of food and seeds, and to care for surviving livestock, so that they can feed their families, improve nutrition and earn income again.

As the monsoon continues and winter approaches, vegetable seeds are one of the most critical forms of immediate support for farmers. Seeds provided to farmers including fast-growing mustard broadleaf, radish and cowpea, that can all be harvested within around a month. In mid-August, FAO distributed more packets of mixed summer vegetable seeds to an additional 15 000 households in the remote upper hills.

In the coming weeks, FAO will reach even more farmers with urgent support. It will provide bags of wheat seeds to households for the winter crop; more packets of mixed winter vegetable seeds and grain storage bags; animal mineral mixture; corrugated iron for animal shelter and winter animal fodder. With so many irrigation systems still damaged after the earthquakes and subsequent aftershocks and landslides, water is now one of the biggest concerns for farmers. FAO expects this will contribute to a reduction in the summer and winter crops, compared to an average year.

In Nuwakot district, Vishnu Bahadur Mijar and his wife Vishnu Maya lost chickens, a cow and goats when their livestock shed collapsed during the first major earthquake. They also lost their home and a small shoe repair business which provided income for the family. Now they haven't been able to transplant their rice seedlings, because of a lack of water.

"There has been a shortage of rain and an irrigation canal was partially damaged in the earthquake," Vishnu Bahadur said. "If there is still no rain and we can't transplant our rice, life will be very difficult."

In response, FAO is planning to help farmers repair small-scale irrigation systems, to support agricultural production and supply water for households and animals. Almost three-quarters of households using irrigation reported substantial to severe damage to their water schemes after the earthquakes. If not repaired quickly, this will seriously affect winter food production, including the staple crop of wheat. This support will be delivered through a community-based, cash-for-work approach.