Farmers make frantic efforts to get fertilisers

By Yagya Prasad Sapkota,Gulariya (Bardiya), Aug. 15: Shanti Adhikari of Shukrabasti in Madhuban Municipality-7 received only six kilos of urea from the cooperative after waiting in line all day. 

“I am worried about where to apply this little urea. I fear the paddy crop might fail this season,” she expressed her anxiety as she has planted rice on one-and-a-half-bigha plot. 

Taratal Sana Kisan Agricultural Cooperative, which has 3,800 farmer shareholders, received only 368 bags of urea for rice cultivation. Rajan Thapa, manager of the cooperative, said that when the available urea was divided equally among the requesting farmers, each could only receive six kilos.

Likewise, Kalpataru Krishnasar Agricultural Cooperative in Gulariya Municipality-3, received 52 bags of urea which was divided for 400 farmers. Each bag was shared among five farmers, and police were deployed to manage the distribution, highlighting the tense situation, said Chairman of cooperative, Chintamani Kandel.

There is widespread panic over the shortage of chemical fertilisers across the district. Farmers are desperately searching for supplies. With the amount of fertiliser received far below demand, some cooperatives are even hesitant to transport it, fearing disputes during distribution. 

Kandel said that if the fertiliser is not delivered, farmers receive nothing, and if it is brought, distribution often sparks conflict.

Long night in the queues

This Tuesday, five cooperatives in Badhaiyatal Rural Municipality-6 announced the distribution of fertiliser simultaneously. Farmers began queuing at 2 AM on Monday to purchase fertiliser. Although the notice stated that 25 kilograms per farmer would be available, the cooperatives ceased the distribution, citing excessive demand. 

Farmers who waited from midnight were forced to return empty-handed. Bishnu Lamsal, Chairman of Mainapokhar Bhabishya Sana Kisan Agricultural Cooperative, informed that distribution was halted until a new notice could be issued because they could not supply the fertiliser as they had planned.

“Even after waiting in line from early morning, we had to return empty-handed. I had hoped to apply the fertiliser today, but that dream remained so,” Jagatu Tharu from Mainapokhar, Badhaiyatal-6, said. 

The acute shortage of chemical fertilisers has prompted farmers to protest at municipal and district administration offices, demanding easy access to fertilisers.

Sagar Dhakal, head of the Integrated Agriculture and Livestock Development Office, Bardiya, said that the lack of fertiliser is likely to reduce paddy production this year. 

Paddy is cultivated over approximately 51,000 hectares in Bardiya. According to Dhakal, the district’s annual requirement is 12,000 metric tonnes of urea, 7,000 metric tonnes of DAP, and 1,000 metric tonnes of other types, but only about 50 per cent of the required fertiliser is currently available.