KATHMANDU, June 17: Salt Trading Corporation Limited (STCL) and Krishi Samagri Company Chitwan have said that they will begin distributing chemical fertilizers to farmers from June 20. The distribution of fertilizers is expected to provide some relief to the farmers who are facing the plantation season.
Buddhi Binod Dahal, head of STCL Chitwan, said that the fertilizers had arrived at the Birgunj-based warehouse of the Corporation and would be distributed soon. Rajan Bagale, head of Krishi Samagri Company, Chitwan, informed Republica that the DAP fertilizer would be distributed from June 20.
According to him, 290 tons of the fertilizers that are in the company will be sold. He said, “The distribution of urea will start as soon as the fertilizer arrives.” He mentioned that fewer fertilizers were arriving in comparison to what is demanded.
Farmers to face fertilizer shortage next year too
As per Agriculture Knowledge Center Chitwan, there is a demand for 17,680 metric tonnes of urea, 9,179 metric tonnes of DAP and 3,809 metric tonnes of potash fertilizers in the district, based on the demand by the seven local municipalities of the district.
Agriculture Extension Officer of the center, Suruchi Tripathi said that the process of the local municipalities stipulating the number of fertilizers required in the respective municipality is still ongoing this year. Last year, Bharatpur Municipality had stipulated that the municipality required 5,000 metric tonnes of urea, 2,000 metric tonnes of DAP and 500 metric tonnes of potash.
Similarly, Tamnagar Municipality had released that it required 1,932 metric tons of urea, 1,238 metric tons of DAP and 1,091 metric tons of potash while Rapti Municipality had demanded 3,500 metric tonnes of urea, 2,000 metric tonnes of DAP and 176 metric tonnes of potash.
Tripathi reported that Kalika Municipality required 1,515 metric tons of urea, 772 metric tons of DAP and 1,060 metric tons of potash and that Madi municipality had stipulated 2,870 metric tonnes of urea, 1,625 metric tonnes of DAP and 150 potash fertilizers as its requirement.
According to her, Khairahani Municipality had demanded 2,783 metric tons of urea, 1,498 metric tons of DAP, and 806 metric tons of potash. Likewise, Icchakamana Municipality had demanded 80 metric tonnes of urea, 46 metric tonnes of DAP and 26 metric tonnes of potash.
While the municipalities are in the process of sending the statistics regarding the amount of fertilizers required, Bagale estimates that this year the demand for the fertilizers may be higher than that of the previous year. He believes the policy taken by the local bodies not to keep any cultivable land fallow could cause the increase.
