Chemical fertilisers are a major input that you put in the soil to enhance fertility. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) are the key nutrients required for the healthy growth of crops. These days, high-yielding hybrid seeds, also known as miracle seeds, are used, which depend heavily on fertilisers for improved production.

Without adequate and timely supply of fertilisers, we cannot obtain the expected yield.

In Nepal, agriculture contributes 27 per cent to the total GDP and provides employment opportunities to 65 per cent of the population. Agriculture, though directly linked with the majority of the people as the major source of employment, is, however, always in the shadow.

Farmers have been facing a shortage of chemical fertilisers since long, which make up a basic agricultural requisite.

In rice-wheat farming, with the harvest of rice, farmers are busy preparing their land to sow wheat across the country.

In Nepal, wheat is cultivated on 7.03 lakh hectares of land with a productivity of 2.84 metric tons per hectare.

Likewise, the demand for chemical fertilisers is 7 lakh metric tons, but the supply is only 3.5 lakh tons, which is merely 50 per cent of the total demand. The figure of demand and supply reflects a huge margin, which needs to be fulfilled in time in order to meet the expected yield per hectare.

We have two governmental bodies – the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited (AICL) and Salt Trading Corporation – which are responsible for the adequate and timely supply of chemical fertilisers to the farmers.

Recently, farmers didn’t get the required amount of fertilisers, particularly urea, during the critical paddy growing season.

As a result, the production has not kept up with the expectation though the cultivable area was increased. It is sure that a similar shortage of fertiliser will happen for wheat too as the government has not taken any steps to meet the demand.

Due to shortage and lack of timely supply of fertilisers, mainly during the critical stage of the crops, farmers are forced to buy substandard fertilisers.

Due to the porous border between India and Nepal, farmers are compelled to buy substandard fertilisers at an expensive rate, which not only deteriorates soil fertility but also drains the country’s income illegally.

In order to end the perennial shortage of chemical fertilizers once and for all, the government must implement its decision to establish a chemical fertiliser plant as early as possible.

Similarly, the government should give priority to increasing the number and capacity of fertiliser warehouses throughout the country.