Dhangadi, August 21

Scarcity of chemical fertiliser has hit local farmers hard in the Sudurpaschim Province.

Not even a kilogram of fertiliser can be found in the offices of Agriculture Materials Company Limited and Salt Trading Corporation in Dhangadi.

Chief at the Agriculture Materials Company Nawal Singh Bogati said the office had run out of stored chemical fertiliser.

He said the farmers had been facing a hard time due to lack of chemical fertiliser in the province.

Sudurpaschim Province needs 15 metric tonnes urea, 10,000 metric tonnes DAP  and 1,000 metric tonnes potassium fertiliser. But the chemical fertiliser distributed by Agriculture Materials Company doesn’t suffice to meet the needs of local farmers for paddy farming.

The farmers were compelled to return empty-handed after the stored chemical fertiliser was finished. Bhakta Bahadur Sidari, a farmer, of Dhangadi sub-metropolis said urea was needed at present.

“But the cooperatives, Agriculture Materials Company and Salt Trading Corporation have no fertiliser,” he added.

Bogati said representatives from the cooperatives reached the office for fertiliser. “But the godown was completely empty and there was no possibility of the fertiliser arriving any time soon,” he said.