AgroPages-Organic fertiliser production below 1pc in Nepal-Agricultural news

The demand for organic food has been increasing by the day but the country’s total commercial production of organic fertilisers is below one per cent. Organic fertiliser producers have been producing just 0.73 per cent of the current requirement of around three million metric tonnes.

The annual organic fertiliser production is at around 22,000 metric tonnes, said president of Organic Fertiliser Producers’ Association of Nepal Keshav Lal Shrestha.

“Currently, we have been producing around 2,000 metric tonnes of vermic compost fertilisers and 20,000 metric tonnes of compost fertilisers,” he said, adding that the government has been encouraging compost fertilisers in recent years.

The government provided Rs 50 million for establishing compost fertiliser plants in five development regions in fiscal year 2011-12.

Similarly, the government had bought 5,000 metric tonnes of compost fertilisers to distribute it to farmers at a subsidised rate last year.

“This year, the government has called a tender for the supply of 1,900 metric tonnes of compost fertilisers and 460 metric tonnes of vermic compost fertilisers,” said Shrestha. Nepal Agriculture Input Company — a government entity — has been selling the fertilisers to farmers along with chemical fertilisers.

The government has been importing around 200,000 metric tonnes of chemical fertilisers every year but the actual demand is above 700,000 metric tonnes. The country needs more than three million metric tonnes of compost fertilisers to substitute chemical fertilisers.

“Producers of compost fertilisers have been increasing their capacity to produce more compost fertilisers but the government must boost their morale,” he said, adding the government must provide subsidy on compost fertilisers being sold in the market.

“The government should adopt a policy of using at least 50 per cent compost fertilisers in the Compost and Bio-fertiliser Monitoring Action Plan 2011.” However, there is no possibility of mass production of compost fertilisers any time soon as vermic compost and compost fertiliser producers have been fighting to get more subsidies from the government.