Organic farmers show way beyond Nepal’s fertiliser crisis

As farmers struggle with shortages of chemical fertilisers during the paddy season, growers in Chitwan and Palpa are turning to green manure, compost and locally produced organic inputs to maintain yields and restore soil health.

Farmers across Nepal, already delayed by a sluggish monsoon, are now scrambling for scarce chemical fertilisers as the paddy transplanting season gathers pace. But in parts of Chitwan and Palpa, a small group of growers has avoided the annual crisis altogether by abandoning chemical fertilisers and pesticides in favour of organic farming.