BIRGUNJ, Feb 28: Next year too, there will be a shortage of chemical fertilizers again during the paddy plantation season. As the process of purchasing fertilizers is long and takes a lot of time, if the bidding process for purchasing fertilizers is not started immediately, there will be a shortage of fertilizers in the coming mid-July to mid-September period, according to the Krishi Samagri Company Limited (KSCL). The company has received 0.1 million metric tons of chemical fertilizers in the seven months of the current fiscal year 2079/80 which is stored at the Madhesh Province Office Birgunj, Parsa.
Chief of the office, Chandra Prasad Chamlagai said that 90,000 metric tons of urea and 40,000 metric tons of DAP fertilizer were received from mid August to mid February of the current year. He said that 30,000 metric tons of urea and 20,000 metric tons of DAP fertilizer will arrive in the country within a few days.
In addition to this, chief Chamlagai said that the bids for the purchase of 20,000 metric tonnes each of urea and DAP are in the process of being approved and even if the bids are approved, the demand for fertilizers is still high which can be only handled till June.
“Until now, 130,000 metric tons of urea and DAP fertilizers have arrived and 50,000 metric tons of fertilizers are in the process of arriving and bids for providing 40,000 metric tons of fertilizers are in the process of being approved,” he said, “We have received, are in the process of receiving, and are in the process of purchasing fertilizers.” Even if all the fertilizers arrive, it seems that it will only last until June.” Chamlagai says that if the process for importing additional fertilizers is not started now, there may be a shortage of fertilizers during the paddy plantation season.
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“The demand for chemical fertilizers is high from mid-June to mid- August, the main season of paddy cultivation. Until that time, it is not seen that the fertilizers that have been received or will arrive will be sufficient, so the process should be started now to purchase the required fertilizers for paddy farming,” he said.
As the bidding process for buying fertilizer is long, if it is not started on time, the fertilizer will not arrive on time and there may be a loss of fertilizer during paddy cultivation, according to Chamlagai. The office said that immediately after receiving the chemical fertilizers purchased through the G2G arrangement, they started sending fertilizers to the districts.
Chamlagai said that in order to avoid a shortage of chemical fertilizers, fertilizers are being sent to the districts as soon as they are received. Among the fertilizers received in the current year 2079/80, 42,122 metric tons of chemical fertilizers including urea, DAP and potash have been distributed in eight districts of Madhesh Province.
According to the office, 3,450 metric tons of urea, 2,060 metric tons of DPA, and 400 metric tons of potash have been distributed to farmers in Parsa district. Similarly, 3,486 metric tons of urea, 1,732 metric tons of DPA, and 185 metric tons of potash have been distributed in Bara.
Alok Kumar, information officer of Birgunj Provincial Office of KSCL, said that 4,955 metric tons of urea, 2,305 metric tons of DAP and 222 metric tons of potash have been distributed to farmers of Dhanusha. Likewise, in Mahottari, 2,323 metric tons of urea, 1,321 metric tons of DAP, and 174 metric tons of potash have been distributed. In Sarlahi, 4,136 metric tons of urea, 1,929 metric tons of DAP and 235 metric tons of potash and in Rautahat 3,045 metric tons of urea, 1,441 metric tons of DAP and 165 metric tons of potash have been distributed.
Chamlagai said that 1,750 metric tons of urea, 1,744 metric tons of DAP, and 285 metric tons of potash were distributed in Siraha, and 1,750 metric tons of urea, 1,740 metric tons of DAP, and 34 metric tons of potash were distributed in Saptari.
He added that although there is a demand of about 0.7 million metric tons of chemical fertilizers across the country, there is a shortage of fertilizers every year because even about 50 percent of the demand cannot be supplied. Although the supply is not according to the demand, more fertilizers have been received in the current year 2079/80 BS compared to the previous fiscal year 2078/79 BS.
In the previous year 2078/79, only 60 metric tons of urea and 40 metric tons of DAP fertilizers had arrived. According to him, the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives of the Madhesh Province Government has sent a letter stating that Madhesh Province needs 463,000 metric tonnes of fertilizers for the year. “It seems that the fertilizers that are being purchased now will not be enough even for Madhesh Province,” Chamlagai said, “How can the fertilizers be delivered in such a situation? It does not seem possible.” Therefore, it is possible that there will be a shortage of fertilizers every year, he said.
Through this office, chemical fertilizers have been sent to all eight districts of Madhesh Province, 10 districts of Bagmati province, Tanahun, Lamjung, Gorkha, Kaski, Parbat and other districts of Gandaki Province. Mukti Yadav, chairman of Madhesh Province, National Farmers Group Federation, said that farmers are faced with fertilizer problems due to the decrease in the supply of DAP and urea fertilizers every year. According to him, there is no supply of fertilizers according to the demand, and even though the farmers go to dealers for fertilizers every year, they are not able to get fertilizers easily.
