At present, there is paddy planting from the hills to the plains. Due to the early onset of monsoon, it is easy to plant paddy this year even in fields without irrigation facilities. Even when nature is helping, the government is not able to supply enough chemical fertilizers and it has put the farmers in trouble.

While the government is claiming that fertilizer is sufficient based on its records, in reality, farmers are struggling to get fertilizer. It is interesting that no government can find a long-term solution to solve this perennial problem. 

According to the figures provided by the Ministry of Agriculture, Salt Trading Corporation Limited has 11 thousand 583 tons and Agricultural Materials Company Limited has 49 thousand 129 tons of chemical fertilizers. In reality, when there is so much, there is no fertilizer for the dry paddy crop. But in practice, farmers who plant rice are facing fertilizer shortage. Complaints of fertilizer shortage are coming from Bardia, Makwanpur, Chitwan, Dhading, Nuwakot, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur and other districts. A farmer family complained that they got only 8 to 10 kg of fertilizer. Failure to proceed with the purchase process in time and not being able to maintain sufficient balance is the main weakness. The government mechanism has also failed in the matter of systematic distribution of available fertilizers.

In the absence of subsidized fertilizers, farmers have to rely on middlemen. Farmers who are forced to buy fertilizers from middlemen have to face two types of problems. First, expensive fertilizers should be purchased. The price of subsidized urea at Biratnagar, Birganj and Bhairahawa stations is Rs 750 per 50 kg bag. The local government decides the price by adding the transportation fee. But now the farmers in the places where there is a shortage have to pay between 2,100 to 2,500 rupees to buy a bag of urea fertilizer. Also, when agricultural work is expensive, the problem of having to pay higher prices for fertilizers also causes problems for farmers.

On the other hand, middlemen are not in a position to be sure of the quality of the fertilizer sold. As the quality is not certain, the quantity used by the farmer may not be sufficient. First of all, it can have a negative impact on the product itself. If the production is not close to the expectation, the financial plan of the farmer will also be ruined. Also, soil quality affects long-term productivity. Farmers who should be able to get fertilizer easily and plant their crops, have to wander around to get fertilizer. This increases the risk of aversion to farming itself. Such a fate of farmers in an agricultural country is extremely shameful.

Chemical fertilizers are needed every year, every crop. Therefore, it is inevitable for the government to plan accordingly for its availability. A study was conducted in 2041 to open a urea fertilizer factory in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Since then, the government has been keeping the issue of opening fertilizer factories in its policies and programs and budgets. Several studies have been conducted to open the factory. But in reality, a concrete process has not taken place. Secondly, if the factory cannot be opened immediately, the fertilizer procurement process should be improved.

Every year Agricultural Materials Company Limited and Salt Trading Corporation Limited have been purchasing fertilizer through global tender. This process takes 3 to 6 months. As a result, there is a lack of fertilizer when farmers need it. Even now the purchased fertilizer is on its way to Kolkata, India. The government needs to make the fertilizer procurement process short and transparent as the fertilizer arriving at Kubela is meaningless.