SANGAM

Fertiliser crisis won’t go away
SANGAM PRASAIN

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KATHMANDU, JUN 11 - As chemical fertiliser shortage worsens across the country, farmers are expressing rage at the government by vandalising depots and distribution units in several districts.

Farmers have recently vandalised fertiliser distribution depots in Bhaktapur and Nuwakot. Farmers’ delegations from Bhaktapur and Nawal-parasi met Agriculture Minister Mrigendra Kumar Singh Yadav on Wednesday and Thursday respectively and demanded solution to their problem at the earliest. Farmers in Kavre, Dha-ding, Nuwakot, Dolakha, Sindupalchowk, Bha-ktapur and Kathmandu district are affected by the shortage in particular since paddy planting season has started there with an early monsoon. Minister Yadav responded that the government subsidy in fertiliser had fallen short for this fiscal year.

“The annual national demand of fertiliser has soared to 500,000 tonnes but the government subsidy covers only 100,000 tonnes,” Yadav said. “Considering the problem, we have requested the finance minister to increase the amount for 300,000 tonnes,” he said, adding that fulfilling

the national demand requires Rs. 5 billion while the budget ceiling for the agriculture ministry is Rs 2.30 billion.

On the other hand, the state-owned fertiliser supplier Agriculture Inputs Company (AIC) had only 11,000 tonnes of fertilisers for the current fiscal year. “We imported 2,500 tonnes from India on Wednesday,” said Pashupati Gautam, managing director of the AIC.

According to him, the government had an agreement of importing 50,000 tonnes of fertilisers. “We have paid for importing 15,000 tonnes and had a due for the same quantity,” he said, adding that 7,000 tonnes of the paid for amount would be obtained within two weeks. Similarly, 7,500 tonnes of fertiliser will be imported from Assam in the same period.

“We have the plan of importing 20,000 tonnes of DAP and 10,000 tonnes of Urea from Turkey,” said Gautam. According to him, the letter of credit (L/C) for the shipment of 10,000 tonnes of Urea and 10,000 tonnes of DAP from Turkey has been opened.

Although the government has claimed that the shortage has aggravated in Kathmandu and its periphery, farmers in Tarai districts are hit harder as Indian authorities have tightened unlawful export.