But the farmers never got to see the fertilizers meant for them as the cooperatives, government officials said, black marketed the DPA and urea to businessmen. [break]
“Ninety agricultural cooperatives in Banke district had taken the responsibility to sell 1038 tons of DPA and urea to farmers at subsidized rates. But it has emerged that they sold off the fertilizers to businessmen,” said Harish Chandra Neupanne, chief of the regional head office. “We will take strict action against the cooperatives,” he added.
The acute scarcity of DPA and urea ahead of the cultivation season is expected to hit agricultural production in the entire western region.
“Potash and DPA have to be necessarily used in the fields before paddy cultivation. But the farmers do not have it,” said Yugal Kishor Tiwari, chief at the District Agricultural Center.
Black-marketing of DPA and urea came to light after the police in Banke got the wind of the nexus between businessmen and cooperatives.
According to SP Rabindra Khadka, a tractor (LU EK Ta 7932), intercepted while on its way to Tarigaun of Dang district a week ago, was found carrying 58 bags of urea and 24 bags of DPA sold by Multipurpose Cooperative, Chulimali Cooperative and Naubasta Cooperative, among others. Similarly, police recovered 69 bags of DPA and urea when it raided Mechikali Suppliers in Nepalgunj.
Meanwhile, experts have warned that low paddy production caused by adverse weather conditions and lack of urea is going to trigger food inflation.
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