KATHMANDU: After receiving several complaints regarding the delay in supply of fertilizers, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has sought a clarification from the Agriculture Inputs Company Limited and Salt Trading Corporation (STC).
As per the ministry, Agriculture Inputs Company (AIC) has stated that the delay was caused due to the COVID-19 and nationwide lockdown. The company has informed the ministry that the consignment of fertilizers that had been ordered from Oman will reach Kolkata within two weeks.
The fertilizers will then be imported to the country. Thus, consumers will have to wait for at least two weeks for the fertilizers now.
The company has stated that its importer company Shailung Enterprises had been making up excuses saying that the delay was caused due to the price hike of fertilizers and the coronavirus pandemic. However, Shailung Enterprises has submitted a letter to the Agriculture Inputs Company stating that the fertilizers will reach Kolkata within two weeks.
Meanwhile, AIC has made a commitment to MoALD that if Shailung Enterprises fails to import fertilizers in the next two weeks then it will look for an alternative way to import fertilizers.
If Shailung does delay in importing the fertilizers now it will have to face charges for not fulfilling the terms in its contract, MoALD stated.
Meanwhile, the ministry is also in touch with STC and a similar response has been provided by the corporation. According to MoALD, Agriculture Minister Ghanashyam Bhusal has directed both the authorities to sort out the issues as soon as possible and monitor their respective importers.
Each year, the country needs around six lakh tons of fertilizers and Nepal has to import it from India. But the Indian market has been badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and factories there are not operating properly. Moreover, import/export to Nepal has also not been eased yet. Due to this the import of fertilizers has been affected, said MoALD.