Paddy season is slipping away, but two Nepali farmer brothers are stuck in India jail

Arrested after buying fertiliser across the border, they are still awaiting bail as Nepal's chronic shortages push farmers to take risks.

Two farmers from Sarlahi district have spent nearly three weeks in an Indian prison after being arrested while returning home with chemical fertiliser bought from a border market. Their arrest is the latest reminder of Nepal’s chronic fertiliser shortages, which force many farmers to buy subsidised fertiliser across the border despite the legal risks.