Despite the supply of fertilizer in Kailali in excess of last year, there is shortage of urea fertilizer during the paddy planting season. This year, the farmers who started planting from the first week of June, got fertilizer a little easier than last year, but the farmers who started planting rice a little late have had problems getting urea.

"More fertilizer has arrived than last year, but urea is still insufficient," said Ganesh Dutt Joshi, information officer of the Kailali Regional Office of the Agricultural Materials Company, "11,762 tons of urea have arrived this year, compared to 9,962 tons last year." This year, those who plant quickly can get urea easily, but the farmers who plant late are in short supply.  In the

district, the provincial office of the Agricultural Material Company and the Salt Trading Corporation have been selling and distributing chemical fertilizers to the farmers through the government-subsidized cooperative organization. The balance of urea fertilizer has been depleted in both those organizations that supply subsidized fertilizers in the district. Joshi, the information officer of the agricultural material company, claims that there is no shortage of fertilizers like in previous years.

"Mostly 10/15 percent of the farmers have lack of urea, this year most of the farmers have got fertilizer on time," said Joshi. He said that once the contract is awarded through the global tender, the goods will enter Nepal through Birganj, Biratnagar and Bhairahawa crossings and from there they will arrive in various provinces and districts. Joshi said that Urea and other fertilizers, which are in high demand for paddy cultivation, are coming from Bhairahawa, Biratnagar and Birgunj offices after 2/3 days.

"Since the tender process was done on time, there was no disruption in fertilizer supply," says Joshi. During paddy cultivation, fertilizer is applied when the field is ready before planting. Additional urea fertilizer is required for top dressing between 21 to 30 days after planting. Urea is also needed during the emergence of paddy. "In recent years, the demand for chemical fertilizers including urea, DAP and potash has started increasing after the cultivation of sugarcane, banana and vegetables as cash crops has started to increase," said Joshi. 

Dambar Shah, the head of Lamki Chuha, an agricultural cooperative, says that paddy is still being planted in some areas of the district, including the southeastern part of Kailali. Farmers there are in trouble for not getting urea. "Though it was easier to get urea in the first week of June, the warehouses of the fertilizer supply organization have been emptied recently, and there has been an extreme shortage of urea," said Shah. 

According to the data of the Provincial Office of Agricultural Materials Company, Dhangadhi, 11 thousand 310 tons of 11 thousand 762 tons of Yaria have been sold this year, while 8 thousand 579 tons of 8 thousand 862 tons of DAP have been sold. Similarly, 957 tons of potash arrived, 476 tons were sold. The selling price of the fertilizer has remained the same as last year. The cooperative organization has been selling the agricultural materials at the selling price by adding the cost of transportation from the company's warehouse and fixing the price.  Since