Over 207,000 tonnes of chemical fertilisers imported

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Dec.8: The government has already imported almost 38 per cent of its annual target of chemical fertilisers during the four and a half months of the current fiscal year 2024/25.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, a total of 207,175 tonnes of chemical fertilisers have been imported by December 2, 2024. 

During the review period, the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited (AICL) has imported 178,429 tonnes of chemical fertilsiers and the Salt Trading Corporation (STC) has imported 28,745 tonnes.

The total imported fertilisers consist of 162,901 tonnes of urea, 39,198 tonnes of DAP and 5,075 tonnes of potash.

The government has set a target to import around 550,000 tonnes of chemical fertilisers from the budget allocation for the current fiscal year 2024/25. 

Through budget speech, the government allocated a subsidy of Rs 27.95 billion to ensure the smooth supply of chemical fertilisers to farmers for the current fiscal year.

According to the spokesperson of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development Dr. Hari Bahadur K.C., the present scenario of the import of chemical fertilisers and their distribution is quite good in the current fiscal year.

"The distribution of chemical fertilisers by Agriculture Inputs Company Limited (AICL) and the Salt Trading Corporation (STC) is going on smoothly across the country and no received grievances were received from the farmers except in one or two places where they complained of not getting chemical fertilisers," he said.

The AICL and STC are the public enterprises that are importing and distributing subsidised chemical fertilisers to farmers as per the budget allocated by the government.

Around 197,631 tonnes of chemical fertilisers, including the stock of the last fiscal year have already been distributed throughout the country during the first four and a half months of the current fiscal year.

By the first week of December of the current fiscal year, the AICL has sold 150,223 tonnes of chemical fertilisers which includes 102,570 tonnes of urea, 43,272 tonnes of DAP and 4,381 tonnes of potash. Likewise, STC has sold 47,407 tonnes of chemical fertilisers which includes 26,450 tonnes of urea, 13,550 tonnes of DAP and 4,707 tonnes of potash.

Stating that there is currently a stock of about 115,312 tonnes of chemical fertilisers, he said that there will be no shortage of fertilisers for winter crops, including wheat and potatoes.

He, however, said that the AICL and the STC have already started the process for importing the remaining amount of fertilisers targeting the upcoming paddy plantations season.

Out of 115,312 tonnes of stock fertilisers, around 78,822 tonnes of urea, 29,522 tonnes of DAP and 6,967 tonnes of potash were in stock at the depots of AICL and STC.

AICL has 89138 tonnes of fertilisers and STC has 26,174 tonnes of fertilisers in stock at present.

K.C. expressed his hope that it would be possible to import 550,000 tonnes of chemical fertilisers this year in line with the annual target and present international price of chemical fertilizers.