Fertilizers to be imported from China
RSS
At a press meet organized at the Ministry of Information and Communications on Monday, Co-Spokesperson of the Agriculture Ministry Tanka Luitel said the preparation was underway to import chemical fertilizers from China because the fertilizer brought from India was insufficient and there was no production from the private sector within the country.
On the occasion, he informed the media that the maize production would decline because there was no rain on time. It would also render impact on paddy production, he added.
Source : http://myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=36266
REPUBLICA
Farmers stage protest demanding fertilizers
They picketed and chanted slogans in front of state owned fertilizer distributor Agriculture Inputs Company (AIC) at Dhulikhel, Kavre. The Dhulikhel branch of AIC has been distributing fertilizers to the farmers in Kavre, Sindhupalchowk, Dolakha, Ramechhap and Okhaldhunga districts.
“AIC has already distributed the fertilizers to different cooperatives before the onset of paddy season. Genuine farmers now are deprived of fertilizers,” said Ram Kumar Shrestha of Nala, Kavre.
The government has taken a policy to distribute the fertilizers through agriculture cooperatives. Farmers who are not associated to the cooperatives have been denied the fertilizers.
“We have drawn the attention of the government through the Chief District Officer of Kavre toward the deepening shortage of fertilizers. We have formed a 20-member struggle committee to exert pressure on the government, which has been indifferent to our problem,” said Basudev Upadhya.
“Since we can´t distribute limited stock of 115 tons of urea to all aspirant farmers, we stopped selling them from our outlet,” said Nawaraj Mahat, a dealer. A District Chemical Fertilizers Coordination Committees has assessed that five districts need 15,000 tons of urea and 1500 tons of Diammonium Phosphat (DAP).
Source : http://myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=36218
Fertilizer crunch to deepen, govt grills IPL representatives
KATHMANDU, June 9: The state-owned fertilizer distributor Agriculture Inputs Company (AIC) is fast running out of stock ahead of the main paddy season, leaving the hundreds of thousands of farmers with imminent shortage of fertilizers; thanks to inability of the government to arrange timely import of the key agriculture input over lingering uncertainty of supplying companies.
"We have hardly 8,000 tons of urea in stock which is negligible compared to 150,000 tons of chemical fertilizers required to the farmers in the upcoming paddy season. Farmers have to face acute shortage if we can´t procure additional fertilizers on time," Shashi Raj Tuladhar, managing director of AIC told Republica on Saturday. Paddy producing districts across the country will be the worst affected from the shortage of fertilizers during the main farming season.
The process to procure 30,000 tons of Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) from India has been delayed by several months following the directive of then Parliament´s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on March 16 to blacklist Indian Potash Ltd (IPL), which was found to have supplied underweight sacks of chemical fertilizers to Nepal.
The government was planning to buy 12,500 tons of urea and 30,000 tons of DAP from Mineral and Mine Trading Company (MMTC) and IPL respectively in the latest installment out of the total 100,000 tons of chemical fertilizers -- 60,000 tons urea and 40,000 tons DAP -- committed by India to supply to Nepal under Import Parity Price. The government has already dispatched payment for the imports of 12,500 tons of urea from MMTC
Tuladhar said they questioned IPL representatives for the underweight sacks and are planning legal action against the Indian supplier.
Amid slim chances of procuring fertilizers from IPL, the government has requested the Indian government a couple of days back to supply of 30,000 tons of DAP through MMTC.
"We have requested the Indian government to supply 30,000 tons of fertilizers from MMTC a couple of days back," Dr Hari Dahal, spokesperson of the Ministry of Agriculture Development (MoAD) told Republica on Saturday.
Though the government initiated the process of selecting overseas firms to supply additional 30,000 tons of urea, 20,000 tons of DAP and 5,000 tons of potash, those fertilizers would be available only for the upcoming winter season.
Out of the total 630,000 sacks (each sack contains 50kg of fertilizer) imported from IPL earlier, 430,000 sacks were found underweight by 2 to 10 kg sparking protest from farmers demanding compensations few months back.
The government has allocated Rs 2.5 billion for the subsidy of chemical fertilizers to the farmers for the fiscal year 2011/12 to supply 150 tons of subsidized fertilizers to farmers.
Out of the total annual demands of around 700,000 tons of chemical fertilizers across the country, the government is supplying only around 150,000 tons at subsidized price to the farmers.
Source: http://myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=36175
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PARSA, June 5: Police arrested 11 persons along with chemical fertilizer this morning that was imported from India by evading taxes.
They were arrested from Jirabhavani temple of Parsa district, police said.
Indian nationals Shesh Muhammad, Mannu Sah, Santesh Yadav including others were help, according to superintendent of police, Krishnabhakta Brahmacharya.
Police also held 15 sacks of chemical fertilizers and 15 cycles used for importing fertilizers.
Source : http://myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=35966
| Govt indecision likely to spark DAP shortage | ||
PRABHAKAR GHIMIRE
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KATHMANDU, May 25: Farmers are likely to face shortage of chemical fertilizers as the government´s indecisiveness in blacklisting Indian Potash Ltd (IPL) has stalled the process of importing di-ammonium phosphate (DAP).
The government had assigned IPL to supply fertilizers but it was found supplying them in lesser quantities. IPL was assigned by the Indian government last year to supply a total of 40,000 tons of DAP to Nepal. However, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of parliament on March 16 directed the government to blacklist the Indian firm and source DAP from another party. The DAP supplied by IPL fell short by 2 to 10 kgs per 50 kg sack.
But the government has neither blacklisted the IPL, nor has it taken any initiative to purchase the much-needed DAP even as the new paddy season begins in another three weeks.
Under the initial consignments, which was delivered as per the arrangement between Nepal and India, IPL had supplied only 10,000 tons of DAP of the agreed 40,000 tons. Likewise, Minerals and Mine Trading Company (MMTC) of India -- the other party assigned to supply Nepal 60,000 tons of urea -- has so far delivered only 12,500 tons of urea.
Though officials are optimistic about receiving assigned quota of urea from MMTC, they expressed doubts over receiving the remaining 30,000 tons of DAP from IPL.
“Farmers are certain to face an acute scarcity of DAP in the paddy season as we have a meager stock of 12,400 tons of fertilizers, whereas the demand for the season is estimated to run over 100,000 tons,” Shasi Raj Tuladhar, acting Managing Director of Agriculture Inputs Company (AIC) told Republica.
AIC had knocked the door of the Ministry of Agriculture Development (MoAD), after the PAC decision seeking the latter´s clear suggestions on the matter in April. "PAC´s instruction further confused us about the legality of continuing the purchase. Hence, we had also sought MoAD´s guidance on how to proceed ahead for acquiring the remaining quota of DAP that India has promised to supply at cheaper rates," said Tuladhar.
However, the ministry has not taken any decision as of yet. “We have not taken any decision in this regard this year. The matter is still under discussion,” said Nathu Prasad Chaudhari, secretary at MoAD. He refused to divulge the details behind not blacklisting IPL, neither did he disclose any initiative by the Ministry for acquiring the remaining DAP from other firm.
Contrary to the indecisiveness of MoAD, a source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed Republica that the Indian Embassy has sent a letter to the ministry to continue to purchase the remaining 30,000 tons of DAP from the IPL on May 2.
Of the total 630,000 sacks of DAP imported from IPL during initial consignments, 430,000 sacks were found underweight by 2 to 10 kg. This had sparked protests from farmers, demanding compensation few months back.
IPL too has admitted of the short supply and promised to compensate for the shortfall.
The MoAD´s inaction, meanwhile, is set to create a deficit of at least 50,000 tons of fertilizers in the market. "That deficit will remain even if the government manages to purchase 30,000 tons of DAP from IPL and 12,500 tons of urea from MMTC before the paddy season. If the purchases are not made, the scarcity will only worsen," said Tuladhar.
Given the situation, AIC has written to the Ministry of Finance (MoF) through the MoAD, asking it to release additional Rs 2 billion for the import of additional 50,000 tons of fertilizer for the season.
Tuladhar said the AIC would need Rs 2 billion as it is preparing to import 30,000 tons of urea, 20,000 tons of DAP and 5000 tons of potash through a global tender.
The government has in 2011/12 has allocated Rs 2.5 billion to subsidize chemical fertilizers. According to MoAD, Nepal´s annual demand for chemical fertilizer stands at around 700,000 tons.
Source :http://myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=35489
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