Government promises to provide fertilizer by mid-January

 Though, it has failed repeatedly, the government has promised to bring chemical fertilizer from Bangladesh by mid-January.

Agriculture Inputs Company Ltd (AICL) today claimed that it will import chemical fertilizers – which Bangladesh is providing to Nepal on a refundable basis – by mid-January. 

Last week, on December 20, the two governments reached an agreement for the purchase of 50,000 metric tonnes of chemical fertilizer through the G2G mechanism. The state-owned enterprise – after several failed attempts – reiterated that it opened a letter of credit (LC) last week to import fertilizers. “The company has already selected Gentrad FZF Company of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to transport chemical fertilizers from Bangladesh,” according to a press note issued by the company. “The AICL – through international bidding on September 19 – awarded the shipping contract to the company.”

The company is purchasing fertilizers at the $259.19 per metric tonne, according to the company that has promised the farmers to provide fertilizers for winter crops.

Earlier, the companies – that had bagged contract – failed to deliver fertilizer. “The government had contracted Shailung Enterprises of Lalitpur and Honiko Multiple of Kathmandu, to supply chemical fertilizers for last rainy season,” according to the company. “However, they had failed to deliver fertilizer.”

After their failure, the government started process to import fertilizers from Bangladesh with a promise to refund it later. But as the export company failed to provide fertilizer forcing the government to sign government-to-government contract to import the fertilizer.