Farmers Need Fertilizer, Not Promises

The government's repeated assurances that there would be no shortage of chemical fertilizers during this year's paddy planting season ring hollow in light of what is happening to farmers in different parts of the country. Reports that two farmers from Sarlahi have been in an Indian jail since June 30 after allegedly attempting to bring a few sacks of subsidized fertilizer across the border are a troubling reminder of the hardships farmers face in obtaining fertilizer during the peak paddy planting season. Their ordeal is not merely a legal issue in a neighboring country; it is a stark reminder of Nepal's failure to ensure that farmers have timely access to one of the most essential agricultural inputs. If fertilizers had been readily available through Nepal's own distribution system, the two farmers would have had no reason to cross the border. Their decision reflects the desperation many farmers face when the planting season arrives but fertilizers are either unavailable or inaccessible. While the government maintains that it has adequate stocks, availability on paper means little if farmers cannot obtain fertilizer when they need it most. Representatives of farmers' organizations have long pointed to weaknesses in the distribution system. Some districts receive more fertilizer than they require, while others face chronic shortages. Complaints of delays, poor planning, unequal allocation and even cross-border smuggling continue to surface year after year.