The government is working to import affordable fertilisers from India and Bangladesh. During the meet the press session yesterday, the agriculture minister Yeshey Penjor said they are working to import 2000 metric tons of fertilisers from India. Farmers in the country have been facing a shortage of chemical fertilisers for the past two years.
The shortage arose in 2019 after the digitisation of the trading system in India.
“Since 1973, there is a policy in India not to allow export of fertiliser in any of its neighbouring countries. But considering the close relationship with our country, the companies gave us the fertilisers. The import of chemical fertilisers became difficult after the introduction of Goods and Services Tax and digitisation of trading system in India,” said the agriculture minister.
According to the agriculture minister, the government got a onetime approval from the Indian government on Thursday to import 2000 metric tons of fertilisers. But there was an issue with the price. “It is fixed at commercial rate and not the subsidised rate. Going by the commercial rate, it is about Nu 87,000 per metric ton. This is difficult for our farmers to pay. So the foreign ministry is in discussion with the Indian Embassy to import at the subsidised rate.”
For the people farming has become more difficult due to the unavailability of fertilisers.
“Earlier the harvest used to be good with the use of fertilisers. But after the shortage of fertiliser, the produce decreased drastically. The size of potatoes and chilies are also small if we do not use fertilisers,” said Sangay Dorji, a farmer in Paro.
“Without fertilisers, we have to hire more labourers in weeding. It requires double the number compared to when we use fertilisers,” said Namgay Wangmo, a farmer from Namseling in Thimphu.
Tshering Penjor, a shopkeeper in Thimphu said it has been a year since his shop ran short of fertilisers. “The importers themselves could not get fertiliser. Now, as it is potato plantation season, many people are coming to buy fertiliser but we do not have,” said Tshering Penjor, a shopkeeper in Thimphu.
The agriculture minister said the ministry also tried to talk directly with an Indian supplier but they charged triple the price. The economic affairs minister will be meeting officials in India in the coming week.
Meanwhile the ministry has also requested the government of Bangladesh to allow one time export of fertilisers to Bhutan.
Karma Wangdi/Samten Dolkar/Kinley Dem
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
