Dearth Of Fertiliser

We are in the middle of the monsoon season. Paddy plantations are at the final stage of completion nationwide. To ramp up their agricultural yield, farmers are desperate for fertilisers, which contribute to food production by providing essential nutrients that crops need for healthy growth.  One of the greatest inventions of the 20th century, chemical fertilisers were central to the Green Revolution, which has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of starvation over the last five decades, by dramatically increasing food production. Billions of people worldwide owe their food to fertilisers.

However, despite having outsize importance for a primarily agrarian country like ours, the acute shortage of fertilisers during the planting season is a recurring problem every year. According to a recent news report carried by this daily, farmers in Bardiya district are reeling from an acute shortage of fertilisers. The other day, they had no option but to make frantic efforts to get fertiliser, only to get far less than needed. Although a notice was served that they would get 25 kg each, the distribution had to be halted midway due to a chaotic situation and dire shortage, leaving them high and dry. Farmers in the other districts have similar stories to tell. 

On the one hand the farmers are unable to plant paddy in time and when it rained recently, they lacked fertilisers on the other. This crisis unequivocally explains why huge swathes of arable land remain untilled nationwide, as well as the ballooning food import, which now constitutes a bulk of our imports. In welcome news, however, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Ramnath Adhikari has claimed that there has been a significant improvement in the supply of chemical fertilisers, attributing the current shortage to the increase in their prices in the international market. The Minister has assured that the 60,000 tonnes of purchased urea, which are on the way, will bring much-needed relief to the farmers.  

He has also revealed that R. 15 billion extra is needed to cover the shortfall. Given the grim situation and the game-changing impact fertilisers will have on the agricultural yield, managing this sum shouldn't be a big deal for the government. Because agriculture accounts for the lion's share of the economy, boosting agriculture translates into economic growth. 

It's a pity that the country has long relied on the import of fertilisers, leaving it vulnerable to shocks in the international market. It's worth mentioning that fertilisers exploded in price shortly after Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, as supply was disrupted from the two major producers of fertiliser. To cushion our economy from such external shocks, setting up domestic fertiliser factories has been long overdue.  

Food prices are already high, and without adequate supply of fertilisers, food production is sure to take a hit, raising the prices even further. Experts have forecast that this shortage will curtail the paddy production this year by as much as 50 per cent. Amid such a grim outlook, a pre-emptive effort to ensure fair and scientific distribution of fertilisers on a need basis can boost crop yield. Also, to make a dent in our huge agricultural import bill, which totalled Rs. 360 billion last fiscal year, making a timely availability of fertiliser has become an imperative. Experts have cited the complexity in the procurement process as one of the main reasons for the problem. From the 35-day notice to the 20-day technical evaluation and tender approval, it takes months for the imported fertilizer to land on our shores. This painful delay calls for streamlining the procurement process as well.