Nepal bids for 260,000 tonnes of fertiliser

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development said it had allocated Rs 15 crore and launched a tender process to purchase 260,000 tonnes of imported fertiliser to ensure timely supply of agricultural production materials to avoid shortages in the coming rice planting season.

      The head of the ministry said it was decided to start the tender process before the budget for the next fiscal year in order to supply imported fertilizers needed for wheat production as early as possible. In the last fiscal year, Nepal imported a total of 426,000 tonnes of fertiliser worth about Rs 405 crore.

Almost every year during the planting season, farmers face a shortage of fertilizer, and although the government promises to deliver farm supplies on time each year, it is unable to do so due to delays by contractors or cumbersome bidding processes, and the construction of fertilizer plants is budgeted each year, but only on paper.

The Minister of Agriculture believes that the development of specific fertilizer procurement guidelines can alleviate supply delays. Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) plans to attract foreign investors to invest Rs 1,000 crore in fertiliser plants. According to a study by the Investment Board of Nepal (IBN), the use of natural gas is the best model for producing fertilizers in Nepal.