WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXVIII No. 91 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 42.2 C 9.8 C Tuesday, May 26, 2020 | 13-02-2077 Bhairahawa Jumla Paddy plantation season is here but there isn’t enough fertiliser Nepal does not have adequate stocks of chemical fertiliser, with imports stuck at Kolkata, India for the last two months due to the lockdown. SANGAM PRASAIN India border. KATHMANDU, MAY 25 And with Nepal-India relations souring due to border issues, the gov- The good news is that local govern- ernment is unlikely to request India to ments across the country have loos- provide fertiliser directly through a ened the lockdown for farmers follow- government-to-government deal. ing concerns that keeping tens of “Our planning failed due to the thousands away from their fields dur- Covid-19 pandemic,” said Bishnu ing peak plantation season could lead Prasad Pokharel, spokesperson for the to food shortages. Agriculture Inputs Company, the The bad news is that chemical fertil- state-owned fertiliser supplier. “We iser—a vital farm input to increase didn’t know how long this lockdown POST PHOTO: ANGAD DHAKAL productivity—is in short supply and would last. Now, it does not look like it Planes sit idle at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu as the lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic goes beyond two months. available stocks could run out before is possible to import fertiliser.” paddy plantation begins. The Agriculture Inputs Company As Nepal is completely dependent and Salt Trading Corporation had on imports for chemical fertilisers, issued tenders to import 25,000 tonnes any shortage could lead to food insecu- of diammonium phosphate (DAP) and rity, affect the incomes of farmers, 71,000 tonnes of urea for this year’s and dampen economic growth pros- paddy plantation. Oli yet again shares misinformation pects for the next fiscal year. “But we haven’t even been able to The World Food Programme and the bring 25,000 tonnes of chemical fertil- World Bank have both warned that as isers that have been stuck in Kolkata the coronavirus crisis unfolds, disrup- for the last two months,” said and provides no concrete plans tions to domestic food supply chains Pokharel. and other shocks could affect food According to Pokharel, Nepal’s fer- production and lead to insecurity. tiliser stock will last for at least a In his third address to the nation in two months, the prime minister commended his government’s efforts to handle Nepal, which relies heavily on food month. Nepal requires 120,000 tonnes imports and agricultural input, is of urea and 50,000 tonnes of DAP for the Covid-19 crisis, but provided little of substance even as cases continue to rise. already bracing for shortages. paddy plantation. Currently, the two “This year, Nepal has more mouths companies have a combined stock of ANIL GIRI ago in Bara. government will announce a plan to to feed than ever before, but it doesn’t 35,000 tonnes of DAP and 25,000 tonnes KATHMANDU, MAY 25 Oli, however, did not appear to have bring back Nepali nationals stranded have adequate fertiliser to grow of urea. been updated about the new numbers in various countries, focusing on more,” said Bhola Man Singh Basnet, “Fertiliser will be inadequate Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli took to as he said that three people had died those who have emergencies. a former agricultural scientist from this planting season. We have to man- the podium once again on Monday, for so far, before going on to assure the “I have spoken with the heads of the Nepal Agricultural Research age with the stock we have,” he said. the third time in two months, to nation that Nepalis would beat Covid- government and state of countries Council. “If the stranded fertiliser arrives, it address the nation. And once again, 19. Except for “strong will-power and where a majority of Nepalis work. Thousands of people, including will relieve pressure to some extent. his 21-minute address consisted of immunity,” Oli had few ideas on how Responding to my request to take care migrant workers, are returning home But we don’t have any other alterna- much rhetoric and not enough sub- exactly Nepalis would beat a disease of Nepalis, they have given me assur- as they have lost jobs abroad and the tive.” stance. that has brought much of the world to ances,” said Oli. “I thank them all.” country needs to produce additional In preparation for a crisis like this, In characteristic fashion, Oli made its knees. The Oli administration, however, food to feed them. Nepal and India had signed an agree- a number of unsubstantiated claims Referring to his address last month, has yet to come up with a detailed plan “Importing food from India will also ment in 2009 that allowed India to sell regarding the Covid-19 pandemic and Oli recalled saying that the coming to bring back Nepalis from abroad. be difficult in the immediate future as 100,000 tonnes of chemical fertiliser two months into a lockdown, went on months would be challenging, but at “An order to bring a detailed plan it too may impose restrictions amid (60,000 tonnes of urea and 40,000 to enumerate what his government least the World Health Organization and guidelines to bring back stranded pressure to feed its own population,” tonnes of DAP) to Nepal annually at will now do. had upgraded Nepal from a “high risk Nepalis will be issued very soon,” said said Basnet. international parity prices to avoid a Oli’s address to the nation comes zone” to just “risk zone”. the prime minister. Fertiliser supply is certain to be lengthy tender process. That deal amid criticism for his government’s There is no evidence that the World PM’S SECRETARIAT Oli, like last week in Parliament, affected by the closure of fertiliser expired in December last year and has failure to utilise the lockdown, which Health Organization has ever revised KP Sharma Oli indirectly blamed India for the influx factories, the disruption in transport, not been renewed. entered its 63rd day on Monday, to Nepal’s risk status, according to a fact of migrant workers who are testing and new restrictions along the Nepal- >> Continued on page 5 prepare properly to respond to Covid- check from South Asia Check on April among some countries that are badly positive for Covid-19. He had then said 19. Every day, the number of coronavi- 28, after some media began reporting hit hard by the pandemic,” said Oli. that the Indian virus looks more lethal rus cases in the country continues to the upgrade. “Some early measures, like lockdown, than the Chinese or Italian virus. This rise, with over 600 infections and four Dr Bikash Devkota, spokesperson restriction of international flights, time, he accused India of sending deaths. The Health Ministry, earlier for the Health Ministry, told the Post and closing down the border, have put Nepali migrant workers home with- on Monday, confirmed the presence of that he did not have any idea regard- Nepal in a relatively safer position out testing them at the border. the virus in a man who died nine days ing WHO’s risk classification for compared to some other countries. “As per WHO protocol, those return- Nepal. But it is not enough.” ing home should have been mandato- “I am not in a position to say The Oli administration might have rily tested before they crossed the anything as I have never heard locked down the country and sealed its border, which could have prevented anything regarding WHO down- borders but it is also facing much crit- the virus from spreading to the com- grading Nepal’s risk level,” icism for its poor handling of migrant munity,” Oli said. “Nepalis from India Devkota said when asked about workers who want to return home are entering without following rules the prime minister’s claim. from India. There have been numer- and testing. This too has contributed Oli went on to say that his gov- ous complaints about poorly managed to the further spread of Covid-19.” ernment is well aware of the fact quarantine facilities in various bor- Some believe Oli’s references to that the battle against Covid-19 is der districts, a lack of isolation facili- India, at a time when Kathmandu and going to be long and challenging. ties, and inadequate testing. New Delhi are at loggerheads over “But Nepal’s preparations will Amid growing calls to evacuate Kalapani-Lipulekh-Limipiyadhura, is meet the challenges because Nepalis from abroad as well as India provocative. POST FILE PHOTO Nepal’s result is satisfactory in a proper manner, Oli said that the >> Continued on page 5 Like everywhere else in Nepal, Sindhuli farmers haven’t got enough fertiliser this season. C M Y K TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2020 | 02 MEDLEY Inside the Post Quote of the day Health Ministry insists Nepal has still not entered National ‘community transmission’ stage, Page 3 The Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown might have put many social activities on hold, but age-old caste-based discrimination has continued. On Saturday, locals from Chaurjahari Municipality in Rukum-West chased away a “We need additional trained wedding party of groom-to-be Navaraj BK Jajarkot, who was to tie the knot with a girl from the town, after they found out that the girl was not from the same caste staffers for contact tracing in as that of BK.