September 8: More than a half of the 32,000 metric ton of urea procured by the Salt Trading Corporation has already entered Nepal. However, there is no possibility of farmers getting the supply of fertilizers for paddy cultivation this year

Although the government had borrowed urea from Bangladesh to resolve the fertiliser crisis, the farmers will not get the fertiliser this season. The route used to bring the chemical fertilizers from Bangladesh and the lengthy process will cause delay in arrival of the fertilizers for paddy cultivation.

The government has given the responsibility to the Nepali Consulate in Kolkata to suggest a convenient route for importing fertilizer from Bangladesh. Consul General Ishwar Raj Poudel informed that work is underway to find out a suitable route for importing fertilizer from Bangladesh.

The Ministry of Agriculture has indicated that the fertilizer cannot be bought in this season.

Farmers have not been able to get fetilizer for the main crop as the authorities entrusted by the government have not been able to bring fertilizer on time. Of the 21,500 metric tons of urea imported by the Salt Trading Corporation in the last fiscal year 2076/77 and 10,500 metric tons in the current fiscal year 2077/78, 19,600 metric tonnes have entered Nepal.

Laxman Khadka, chief of the Nepal Transit and Warehousing Company, informed that 6 racks of fertilisers weighing 2,600 metric tons have already left for Birgunj from Kolkata Port.

"4,000 metric tons of fertilizer have been sent to the eastern border, Biratnagar by road," said Khadka.