Farmers forced to buy fertilizers at exorbitant rate
GORKHA, Sept 12: Acute shortage of fertilizers during the peak season of farming has put farmers in Gorkha district in dilemma.
The farmers are extremely worried over the lack of fertilizers after 23 agriculture cooperatives with license to distribute fertilizers to the farmers stopped supplying them. The cooperatives, which were selling fertilizers to local businessmen at higher rates, have stopped supplying fertilizers following a recent monitoring by the government.
“It is the peak season to prepare the paddy field for farming. Fertilizers are not available and we are tensed,” said Bhola Shrestha, a farmer from Gorkha municipality-9 who bought some fertilizers at expensive rate. “I had to pay Rs 28 per kg of urea. It was sold to me by a cooperative in Chhewetar,” he said. “We are not getting urea even in additional rate easily.
So, we have to grab it when available,” he added. Shrestha further said that farmers would not be able to plant paddy well if the scarcity of fertilizers persists.
Farmers are given subsidy in fertilizers. According to the farmers, the cooperatives are selling them fertilizers at nearly double the rate. The cooperatives were supposed to distribute fertilizers to farmers from their own depots. “However, they never open their depot.
We have to reach out to private shops seeking fertilizers where we are forced to pay higher amount,” said Krishna Bahadur Kumal of Khoplang - 6. He added that the cooperatives and shops hide fertilizers if monitoring takes place. “Recently, they were monitored by the government, and now we don't get to buy it,” he added.
Meanwhile, Tritha Kumar Shrestha, senior officer at District Agriculture Office, said he has taken necessary action to solve the problem of fertilizer scarcity. “I will write to the concerned body for smooth supply of fertilizer,” he said.
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