Private firms fail to maintain record of fertilizers sale

Bhadrapur (Jhapa): Most of the private firms in Jhapa district have been found maintaining no record of the sale of chemical fertilisers. The Agriculture Knowledge Centre in the district exposed it during a market monitoring conducted on Tuesday.

Such enterprises are directed to compulsorily maintain a standard. Every sale requires details and transaction made transparent by issuing bills, the Centre underscored.

Chief of the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Sagar Bista, informed that market monitoring was conducted in Bhadrapur and Birtamod Municipalities and Haldibari and Barhadashi Rural Municipalities. The monitoring team inspected the documents at cooperatives and private firms which were authorised to sell chemical fertilisers.

Maintenance of reports was subpar, which courted direction for correction.

The monitoring was held to ascertain whether the chemical fertilisers- urea, DAP and potassium- were sold at a discount price to the farmers. The local governments had provided subsidies to farmers on the purchase of essential agricultural inputs. The issuance of bills while selling the input was checked at the firms to measure transparency in business practice, according to Bista.

The government has been providing chemical fertilisers to the farmers through the Agriculture Inputs Company and the Salt Trading Corporation. These companies further contract authorised dealers to ensure farmers’ access to the supply at a discount.

The monitoring team consisted of representatives from companies, the District Administration Office, the District Coordination Committee and the Nepal Police. The joint inspection squad visited 11 such sales centres at four local levels.

The authorities have intensified market monitoring in a bid to curb business malpractices and ensure a smooth supply of agricultural inputs in view of the coming peak season of paddy plantations. All sides are requested to cooperate in this bid. RSS