Kathmandu, July 13: The Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Environment has urged fertiliser dealers to collect their allocated quotas from government depots and distribute them to farmers without delay as demand for chemical fertilisers surges during the paddy plantation season.
More than 92,500 tonnes of chemical fertilisers, including urea, diammonium phosphate (DAP) and potash, are currently available at government depots. However, many dealers have not collected their allocated quotas, making it difficult for farmers to obtain fertilisers, according to Dr. Ram Krishna Shrestha, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Environment.
Dr. Shrestha acknowledged that there is a gap between demand and supply but stressed that dealers also have a responsibility to collect the available fertilisers and ensure timely distribution during the peak planting season.
“There are more than 14,000 fertiliser dealers across the country, and each dealer’s quota may be limited. However, dealers should support the government’s efforts by collecting the fertilisers allocated to them and supplying them to farmers,” he said.
He added that fertilisers imported into the country have already been delivered to government depots and are being supplied to authorised dealers for distribution. The ministry has instructed dealers to accelerate the collection and distribution process to ease shortages experienced by farmers.
With demand expected to increase further during the paddy cultivation season, the ministry has intensified efforts to import additional chemical fertilisers.
“It is true that we have received complaints from farmers in several parts of the country regarding difficulties in obtaining fertilisers. The ministry is coordinating with the concerned local authorities and has instructed dealers to collect fertilisers from depots and distribute them promptly,” Dr. Shrestha said.
92,000 more tonnes currently in stock
According to the ministry, 92,592 tonnes of chemical fertilisers are currently stored at the depots of Agriculture Inputs Company Limited (AICL) and Salt Trading Corporation (STC), the two state-owned enterprises responsible for importing and distributing subsidised fertilisers.
The available stock includes 49,104 tonnes of urea, 24,012 tonnes of DAP and 19,475 tonnes of potash.
Ministry data show that by July 8, 2026, Nepal had imported a total of 561,493 tonnes of chemical fertilisers, including 327,579 tonnes of urea, 203,426 tonnes of DAP and 30,487 tonnes of potash. These figures also include fertilisers that remained in transit from the previous fiscal year (2024/25).
During the same period, around 518,278 tonnes of chemical fertilisers—including stock carried over from the previous fiscal year—had already been distributed nationwide. By July 8, AICL and STC had sold 307,016 tonnes of urea, 192,931 tonnes of DAP and 18,330 tonnes of potash.
Dr. Shrestha said around 300,000 tonnes of chemical fertilisers are expected to arrive in Nepal in the coming months. Among them, 30,000 tonnes of DAP, which has already reached Visakhapatnam Port in India, is expected to arrive in Nepal during the first week of Shrawan and will be distributed to farmers immediately.
He also said that 50,000 tonnes of fertilisers being imported from India under the government-to-government (G2G) arrangement are being processed for early delivery.
Under the G2G agreement, 20,000 tonnes of DAP are expected to arrive during the month of Shrawan, and 30,000 tonnes of urea are expected to arrive by the first week of Bhadra. In addition, around 90,000 tonnes of chemical fertilisers are currently in the import pipeline and are expected to reach Nepal by Bhadra.
Promoting organic fertiliser
According to Dr. Shrestha, Nepal’s heavy dependence on imported chemical fertilisers has created ongoing supply challenges. “It is true that Nepal relies entirely on imported chemical fertilisers. Rising international prices and global geopolitical tensions have affected timely procurement within the government’s budget,” he said.
To reduce dependence on imported fertilisers, the ministry has instructed local governments to encourage farmers to increase the use of compost and other organic fertilisers. Dr. Shrestha said promoting organic fertilisers would not only reduce the consumption of chemical fertilisers but also help improve long-term soil health.
He warned that excessive use of chemical fertilisers has contributed to declining soil quality, making greater use of compost and organic alternatives essential for protecting agricultural productivity and ensuring sustainable farming. #nepal
