Tea producers in Jhapa demand chemical fertilisers

JHAPA: Local tea producers in Jhapa district have demanded the government provide chemical fertilisers in quota. Jhapa is the largest tea-producing district in Nepal. Thousands of farmers and labourers depend on tea farming. General Secretary of Nepal Tea Producers' Association, Shiva Kumar Gupta, said the government has not provided chemical fertilisers for tea farming since 2021. Nepal has been annually earning millions of foreign currencies by exporting tea. He voiced his complaint that the tea producers are compelled to import chemical fertilisers adopting illegal ways while the government has stopped making its proper arrangement. Those involved in tea production expressed their ire at the government for showing apathy towards providing chemical fertilisers for tea farming. The tea producers have demanded the government facilitate in accessing chemical fertilisers such as Urea, DAP, Potassium and Ammonia Sulfate required for tea estate. Gupta said tea farmers have not received chemical fertilisers on a quota that the government used to distribute before 2020. Tea producers have also urged the National Tea and Coffee Development Board to take initiatives for addressing the issues related to chemical fertilisers. They also asked the agencies, including Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Agriculture Inputs Company and Salt Trading to play coordinating roles in addressing the gaps. Gupta suggested fertilisers should be provided to small tea producers by registering cooperative dealers and to the big tea companies by stipulating quotas through federal or provincial governments. Presently, tea farming covers an area of 10,500 hectares of land in Jhapa. It needs 1,500 metric tonnes of chemical fertilisers annually, said Indra Adhikari, Chief of National Tea and Coffee Development Board, Regional Office, Birtamod. The government has not paid any heed to their demand for chemical fertilisers, commented Binaya Kumar Goyal, Joint-Secretary of the association. By RSS READ ALSO:

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