Dang, June 13: With the start of the main rice planting season, farmers in Dang are facing an acute shortage of chemical fertilisers, raising concerns about potential impacts on paddy production.
At a time when farmers are preparing rice nurseries, applying fertiliser to maize crops and gearing up for paddy transplantation, limited fertiliser supplies have forced many to queue overnight outside cooperatives in hopes of securing even a small quantity.
Nabaraj Pant of Pantatol, Ghorahi Sub-Metropolitan City-1, said he arrived at the Jaibik Bibidhata Agricultural Cooperative in Ramapur at 2 a.m. on Thursday after hearing that fertiliser had arrived. He said farmers had managed to prepare paddy nurseries using leftover fertiliser from winter crops, but supplies have now run out ahead of the transplantation season.
Similarly, Govardhan Giri of Nimuriya, Ghorahi-2, spent the night outside the Small Farmers Agricultural Cooperative office hoping to obtain two bags of urea fertiliser. He said farmers fear the shortage could worsen if supplies do not improve soon.
According to cooperative officials, demand has far exceeded available stocks. Guru Prasad Khanal, chairperson of the Small Farmers Agricultural Cooperative, said fertiliser is being distributed at a rate of only half a bag per farmer because of limited supply. Whatever stock arrives is exhausted within hours, he added.
The Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Dang, estimates that around 32,821 tonnes of chemical fertiliser are needed annually for rice cultivation across the district’s approximately 39,000 hectares of paddy fields.
Data from the Ghorahi branch of the Agricultural Inputs Company Limited (AICL) show that more than 1,898 tonnes of urea, 1,198 tonnes of DAP and 106 tonnes of potash have been distributed so far. While some stock remains at the Ghorahi branch, the Tulsipur branch currently has no fertiliser available for distribution.
Meanwhile, the Salt Trading Corporation’s Ghorahi branch has distributed more than 2,269 tonnes of urea and 2,348 tonnes of DAP. Branch chief Rambabu Prasad Gupta attributed the worsening shortage to irregular fertiliser supplies since January. #nepal
