KATHMANDU: The government has distributed 243 thousand metric tonnes of chemical fertiliser to farmers from the budget allocated under this heading so far in the current fiscal year 2025/26.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development said that out of the budget allocated for purchasing fertilizer in the current fiscal year, the government has invited bids to purchase 466 thousand metric tonnes of chemical fertiliser, of which 243 thousand metric tonnes have already been distributed to farmers.
Similarly, up to the last five and a half months of the current fiscal year, 83 thousand metric tonnes of chemical fertiliser is in stock.
Agriculture Minister Dr Madan Prasad Pariyar informed that the fertiliser distribution information system has been reformed to make the distribution of chemically fertilisers funded by the Government of Nepal transparent and organised, allowing farmers across the country to view details of the fertiliser distributed through cooperatives via local levels on the ministry’s website.
He said that this will address the complaints that have arisen regarding the distribution of fertiliser.
The Agriculture Ministry has requested the Ministry of Finance for additional funds required to manage an extra 60 thousand metric tonnes of fertiliser for the upcoming rice planting season.
The Ministry of Agriculture has requested the Finance Ministry for managing additional fertiliser and has obtained approval for the required resources, therefore, the procurement process for the next fiscal year has been initiated.
Regarding public complaints of discrimination during the distribution of fertiliser from various places, the Ministry has instructed the regional offices of the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited to sell and distribute the quota of fertiliser equally without any ethnic, cultural, or communal discrimination, in accordance with local government directives.
Similarly, based on the demands of the sugarcane farmers’ movement, the report of the negotiation committee, various stages of discussions at the ministry with sugarcane farmers and sugar entrepreneurs, and field meetings with farmers, the minimum purchase price of sugarcane for the fiscal year 2025/26 has been set at the highest ever Rs 620 per quintal along with an additional grant of Rs 70 to address the dissatisfaction of sugarcane farmers.
The Ministry of Agriculture has stated that a high-level committee, representing the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, and the Ministry of Agriculture, has been formed and necessary work has begun to address the long-term problems of sugarcane producing farmers and sugar entrepreneurs.
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