Bhadrapur (Jhapa), April 29: Most of the private firms in Jhapa district have been found maintaining no record of sale of chemical fertilizers. The Agriculture Knowledge Centre in the district exposed it during a market monitoring conducted on Tuesday.
Such enterprises are directed to compulsorily maintain standard. Every sale requires details and transaction made transparent by issuing bills, 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 authorized to sell chemical fertilizers.
Maintenance of reports was subpar, which courted direction for correction.
The monitoring was held to ascertain whether the chemical fertilizers- urea, DAP and potassium- were sold at discount price to the farmers. The local governments had provided subsidy to farmers on purchase of essential agricultural input. 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 fertilizers to the farmers through the Agriculture Inputs Company and the Salt Trading Corporation. These companies further contract authorized dealers to ensure famers’ access to the supply at discount.
The monitoring team consisted of representatives from companies, District Administration Office, District Coordination Committee and Nepal Police. The joint inspection squad visited 11 such sales centres of four local levels.
The authorities have intensified market monitoring in a bid to curb business malpractices and ensure smooth supply of agricultural inputs in view of coming peak season of paddy plantations. All sides are requested to cooperate in this bid.
