August 27: Chemical fertilizers that were stranded in Indian ports since the last five months have finally arrived at Birgunj Dry Port. Government authorities confirmed that 2,600 metric tons of urea have arrived at Birgunj from Kolkata Port. The fertilizers were sent from Kolkata last week.

Salt Trading Corporation has been storing 32,000 metric tons of fertilizers at Kolkata Port. It includes 21,500 tons of fertilizers of last fiscal year and 10,500 metric tons for the current fiscal year.

Chief of the regional office of Salt Trading Corporation, Birgunj, Amoj Lamichhane informed New Business Age that the urea will be provided to the farmers after customs clearance.

“The fertilizers are in the process of entering in Nepal. All the fertilizers at Kolkata will reach Nepal within a few days,” said Lamichhane. The Birgunj office of Salt Trading Corporation supplies fertilizers to 19 districts.

Besides the consignment of 2600 metric tons of urea which arrived at Birgunj through railways, an additional 3900 metric tons of urea have been sent to Nepal through road, according to Laxman Khadka, chief of the Kolkata-based Nepal Transshipment and Warehouse Management Company.

Some of the fertilizers sent through road have entered Nepal through Biratnagar customs point.

Farmers are facing shortage of chemical fertilizers due to the delay in supplying the fertilizers during plantation season by the Salt Trading Corporation and Krishi Samagri Company – the two state-owned companies assigned to oversee the supply of fertilizers.

The fertilizers were stuck at a port in Gujrat for four months before finally arriving at Kolkata port about two weeks ago.

Salt Trading Corporation had purchased the chemical fertilizers from Dubai-based Multi Commodities before the lockdown.

The total demand for urea this season is 30,000 metric tons.

Farmers require urea after plantation of paddy.