Kathmandu. The chemical fertilizers allocated to 26 municipalities of nine districts of the Sudurpaschim province have not been collected so far.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Environment has not paid any attention to the issue of fertiliser collection despite informing the concerned bodies time and again. The ministry has warned that if these municipalities do not collect chemical fertilizers immediately, they will sell chemical fertilizers directly to the farmers through depots of Agriculture Inputs Company Limited and Salt Trading Corporation.

According to the latest decision taken by the Ministry, the local levels in Dadeldhura, Baitadi, Darchula, Bajura, Bajhang and Doti districts have not collected the prescribed quantity of fertilizers and salt trading.

Similarly, Godawari Municipality of Kailali has not supplied 21,230 kilogrammes chemical fertilizers, 6,690 kilogrammes of Gaurijung Municipality, 10,250 kilogrammes of Janaki Rural Municipality and 21,500 kilogrammes of Dhangadhi Metropolitan City.

Similarly, some municipalities in Kanchanpur district have also not collected chemical fertilizers. Bhimdatta Municipality has not collected 106,800 kg of fertiliser while Bedkot Municipality has not collected 106,400 kg of fertilizer.

Likewise, among the 5 local levels in Achham district, Sanphebagar Municipality, Bannigadh Jayagadh Rural Municipality and Kamal Bazaar Municipality are yet to supply chemical fertilizers.

Although paddy plantation has already begun, the farmers have started facing the problem of fertilizer after the concerned bodies did not supply the fertilizer.

The local levels have not been able to reach the farmers on time due to lack of coordination in the process of procurement and distribution of chemical fertilizers. As the rainy paddy planting season is approaching, the delay in the distribution of fertilizer has increased the risk of affecting the farmers.

Of the chemical fertilizers currently available through the Agriculture Inputs Company, 52 per cent of the chemical fertilizers will be distributed in Kailali and 32 per cent in Kanchanpur. The remaining 16 percent fertilizer has been allocated to Dadeldhura, Baitadi, Darchula, Bajura, Bajhang, Achham and Doti, among other districts. However, the concerned bodies in these districts have not been able to supply fertilizers.

Similarly, Kailali has 34 percent share of fertilizer distributed by the Salt Trading Corporation in Sudurpaschim Province and 54 percent in Kanchanpur. Although the remaining 12 percent fertilizer is to be distributed to the local levels of other districts, it has not been able to collect it as expected. As many as 43 local governments in the far-western province have been selling chemical fertilizers. Of them, 17 municipalities have taken fertiliser but 26 have not been able to supply fertiliser.