ILAM, June 28 - Shortage of quality fertilizers in the eastern part of the country has encouraged increasing use of inferior-quality fertilizers illegally imported from India.

Farmers in most of the districts of the Mechi zone are compelled to use the lower-grade fertilizers as they don´t have an alternative.

The inferior fertilizers imported through different custom-points of the eastern frontier districts are easily available in the local villages at lower prices compared to good quality fertilizers. Experts have warned that such fertilizers which are inferior in quality are causing negative impact in productivity of soil and in environment.

Locals said such low grade fertilizers are entering through Samalbung, Shreeantu, Pashupatinagar, Jogmai, Jamuna, Pyang and Nayabazar which border India.

Recent seizure of a truckload of fertilizers shows how widely the farmers here are using such fertilizers in the name to try and increase their fields´ productivity. “Quality fertilizer has become a rarity in Nepali market,” said Gyanendra Parajuli. “It is our compulsion to use lower-quality fertilizers.”

Local dealers said that they were not in a position to supply the higher quality fertilizers as demanded by local farmers in the district.

However, some dealers are involved in selling inferior-quality fertilizers taking advantage of the crunch of quality fertilizers in the local market.

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