Agriculture Minister Gita Chaudhary Calls for End to Billions in Foreign Fertilizer Purchases

Kathmandu. Agriculture, Forest and Environment Minister Gita Chaudhary has said that the situation of having to buy billions of rupees worth of fertilizer from abroad must end.

Speaking at a meeting of the Agriculture, Cooperative and Natural Resources Committee under the House of Representatives held at Singha Durbar on Friday, Minister Chaudhary said that the situation of having to buy billions of rupees worth of fertilizer from abroad must end by creating a fertilizer factory or some other alternative within the country.

She stated that if sufficient fertilizer can be produced in Nepal, the billions of rupees allocated for fertilizer purchases can be utilized for the development of the agricultural sector. Minister Chaudhary mentioned that about 50 percent of the ministry's budget is spent solely on the import of chemical fertilizers.

She informed that the ministry is moving forward with policy reforms to make agriculture a dignified and attractive profession. She stated that she is serious about making the agricultural sector technology-friendly and marketing the produce of the farmers. She expressed the view that if the state can provide proper facilitation to the farmers, good production can be achieved and they can be easily connected to the market.

In the meeting, committee members emphasized the need to control the intervention of middlemen as farmers suffer during the marketing of agricultural products. They also suggested promoting the use of organic fertilizer over chemical fertilizer.