In today’s meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR), lawmakers took part in deliberations over a proposal of urgent public importance on fertilizer presented before the session by CPN (UML) chief whip Bishal Bhattarai.
Taking part in the deliberations, HoR member Purna Kumari Subedi said the issue of chemical fertilizer supplies was constant despite efforts to address it since past. According to her, import of chemical fertilizer just from only one country was one of the reasons for the problem and import market should be sought in other country as well.
Shakti Bahadur Basnet said the crisis of chemical fertilizer was perennial due to a series of causes and the promotion of the use of green economy was significant to adjust with the situation. As he advised, good governance should be focused as an immediate way to intervene in the shortage.
“Cartels have their influence in chemical fertilizer supplies since a tender procedure and the problem is unmanageable by the ministerial-level efforts and a high-level dialogue from the Prime Minister level is needed to address the problem.”
Similarly, Mahesh Basnet presented an idea of utilizing solid waste as raw materials for manufacturing compose fertilizer, highlighting on policy-level reforms to behavioral changes among the people concerned to improve the situation while Dev Prasad Timilsina reminded the House that the fertilizer shortage was a longstanding problem.
After lawmakers put their views on the matter, Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota announced the adjournment of the session by half an hour. Khagaraj Adhikari wanted to know from the government as to when it would supply 400 thousand metric tons of fertilizer required in the country. He added that the proposal of public importance regarding the problem of fertilizer shortage had to be brought as there is acute shortage of fertilizer during the cultivation season when the farmers direly need it.
Adhikari also shared in this context that the country was facing shortage of 1 million metric tonnes rice and it would be hard to purchase rice when several countries of the world have stopped exporting it. He also pointed out that the rice production would sharply decrease if the government failed to supply fertiliser to the farmers in time and this situation would push the country towards a dire food crisis. Min Bishwokarma reiterated that the farmers should get the fertiliser on time and the Agriculture Inputs Corporation had to cancel the tender process for procurement of fertiliser as the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority had sent a letter to this effect.
Parbati DC Chaudhary stressed on providing fertiliser to farmers on time as not doing so would be detrimental to their meagre income. Dila Sangraula called on the government to bring the fertiliser from India at the earliest through the G2G process. Gopal Bahadur Bom said the shortage of fertiliser faced by farmers is a common problem of all the parties and all the parties should be united in bringing fertiliser at the earliest. Laxmi Pariyar said the government should be sensitive in resolving this perennial problem of fertiliser shortage that has been dogging the country. Ganesh Kumar Pahadi underscored the need of setting up a fertiliser industry in the country and there is no other option to this to address the long-standing problem.
Nara Bahadur Dhami expressed regrets that the contribution to the GDP from agriculture sector was mere 25 per cent when 60 per cent of the population was farmers. He also complained that the farmers who lost their rice crop to massive flooding last year were not yet compensated. Surya Prasad Pathak stressed on promoting the use of organic fertiliser for addressing the problem in a sustainable manner as it will take 226 days to complete the process of purchasing fertiliser.
Lawmakers demand resolution of fertilizer problems Lawmakers attending today’s meeting of the House of Representatives drew the attention of the government to various problems facing people. On the occasion, HoR member Sanjaya Kumar Gautam said all political parties should come together to resolve public interest matters like a lack of seeds, fertilizers and a price increment of petroleum products.
Other HoR members, Goma Devkota, Laxmi Kumari Chaudhary, Mohan Kumar Pandey, Niru Devi Pal, Naradmuni Chaudhary and Kalina Khatun also stressed the need for addressing problems of a lack of fertilizers and textbooks in time. Tulasi Thapa suggested that the government be serious about managing godowns to store fertilizers. Prem Suwal sought a clarification from the top leaders of the coalition parties on ‘failure’ to supply fertilizers.
