Bardiya, Nepal - June 4, 2026
As the rice cultivation season begins across Nepal's western Terai, farmers in Bardiya district are facing a familiar challenge: a shortage of chemical fertilizers. With the optimal period for preparing rice seedbeds already underway, many farmers have been compelled to sow their nurseries without the recommended application of fertilizer, raising concerns over crop productivity and food security.
Among them is 45-year-old farmer Saunu Tharu of Nauranga, Geruwa Rural Municipality-6, who prepared his rice seedbed this year without any chemical fertilizer after repeatedly failing to secure supplies from local cooperatives.
According to Tharu, uncertainty surrounding fertilizer availability left him with little choice. After waiting several days in hopes that stocks would arrive, he proceeded with seedbed preparation to avoid further delays in the planting schedule.
Farmers say the shortage has become a recurring problem. Many report that even when fertilizer becomes available, supplies are insufficient, often requiring several farmers to share a single sack. The situation has left growers concerned about declining yields despite their hard work and investment in cultivation.
Tharu, who cultivates approximately four and a half bighas of land through ownership, leasing, and sharecropping arrangements, estimates that he requires around five sacks of DAP fertilizer and ten sacks of urea for the season. He argues that limited allocations make it difficult to achieve productive harvests.
Similar concerns have been voiced by other farmers in the district. Jagatu Tharu of Badhaiyatal Rural Municipality-6 said he also prepared his rice seedbed without fertilizer this year and remains uncertain whether adequate supplies will arrive in time for the main planting season.
Officials from the Agricultural Inputs Company Limited (AICL), the government agency responsible for fertilizer distribution, acknowledge the shortage. Bardiya branch manager Dinesh Khanal stated that while stocks of urea and potash are available, DAP fertilizer remains critically low. He reported that the warehouse currently holds 1,244 metric tonnes of urea and 352 metric tonnes of DAP, but sales have yet to begin pending authorization from provincial authorities.
The Salt Trading Corporation, which supplies a portion of the district's fertilizer demand, has also indicated that additional fertilizer shipments are expected to arrive in Bardiya in the coming days.
Agricultural experts note that Bardiya requires approximately 12,000 metric tonnes of urea, 7,000 metric tonnes of DAP, and 1,000 metric tonnes of potash annually. However, only about half of the district's total fertilizer demand is typically met, creating persistent challenges for farmers. Studies and reports have repeatedly highlighted fertilizer shortages as a major constraint to agricultural productivity in Nepal's Terai region, including Bardiya.
The current shortage comes at a critical time for Nepal's rice sector. Experts have warned that disruptions in fertilizer supply could negatively affect rice production and national food security, particularly as global supply chain pressures continue to influence fertilizer imports and prices.
As farmers prepare for the upcoming rice transplantation season, many are calling for timely and adequate fertilizer distribution to prevent further impacts on agricultural production and rural livelihoods.
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