Law in the offing to ensure timely delivery of fertilizer, seeds: Minister Adhikari

Kathmandu, July 6: Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Ramnath Adhikari, shared that efforts were underway to introduce a law aimed at ensuring timely delivery of chemical fertilizer and seeds for the farmers across the country.     

At a meeting of the parliamentary Committee on Industry, Commerce and Labour under the House of Representatives today, Minister Adhikari announced that a new law was being formulated to address the recurring short supply of fertilizers. The Minister also emphasized the need to establish a dedicated institution to procure and distribute essential agricultural supply.     

According to him, the current process would take more than 250 days to procure fertilizers while the existing directive after amendment will reduce it to 159 days. Also, new provision will expedite the process of transporting fertilizer and seeds from one from one ward to another.     

"Once the new provision comes into effect, fertilizer and seeds could be transported to local levels within 10 days in Terai region and within 15 days in hilly areas," he explained.     

On the occasion, Committee President Abdul Khan mentioned that the meeting was summoned following an application from the Salt Trading Corporation regarding fertilizer quota.     

During the meeting, parliamentarians Ganesh Parajuli, Sita Mijar, Rekha Yadav and Hemraj Rai among others highlighted recurring problem of fertilizer shortage every year during paddy plantation season and thus called for resolving the issue at the earliest.     

Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture Dr Govinda Prasad Sharma admitted that it would not be sufficient to supply fertilizer to the farmers for the entire year based on the annual budget announced every Jestha 15 of the Nepali month.     

According to him, a total of 70,000 tonnes of urea was on a stock in the country at present.(RSS)