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Kathmandu, Nepal, June 13, 2022: The House of Representatives (HoR) has issued a special directive to the government to procure chemical fertilizers as soon as possible by applying any means necessary for the purpose.
The Nepal government has to ensure availability of chemical fertilizer to farmers to resolve the problems of the agriculture sector that contributes around 25 percent in the country’s GDP,’ reads the directive issued by the HoR. ‘Serious attention of the HoR was drawn to the unavailability of the chemical fertilizer at the time of paddy plantation,’ Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota said reading out the directive.
The HoR issued the directive responding to the serious attention drawn by the lawmakers in the parliament. The lawmakers from the main opposition CPN-UML registered an emergency motion of public importance demanding that other regular program of Parliament be halted to discuss chemical fertilizer shortages across the country.
Not only the lawmakers from the main opposition UML but also the lawmakers from the ruling allies including the ruling head Nepali Congress raised their concern about the scarcity of chemical fertilizer even at the time of paddy plantation.
Nepal requires about 600,000 tonnes of chemical fertilizer annually. Of the total required chemical fertilizer, about one-third used to be utilized during the paddy planting season. The paddy transplantation season has already run across the country.
Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Mahendra Ray Yadav had visited India last week to manage the chemical fertilizer.
During the meeting between Agriculture Minister Yadav and Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Chemical and Fertilizers of India, he was assured for the early shipment of chemical fertilizer required Nepal for the season.
However, India has neither sent any consignment of chemical fertilizer nor specified the date for the shipment. Resending to the queries of the lawmakers, Minister Yadav stated that the government has made several efforts for the early management of chemical fertilizer.
