Sarlahi farmers finally home, but the fertiliser crisis remains
Summary
Two Sarlahi brothers have been released on bail after spending 38 days in an Indian jail for carrying fertiliser home for their farm, spotlighting Nepal’s recurring fertiliser shortage. The case has intensified concern among farmers in the southern border districts, where subsidised fertiliser remains hard to obtain during the planting season.
Key Points
- Suresh Prasad Singh and Nagendra Prasad Singh were released on bail after 38 days in an Indian jail, where they had been held on fertiliser smuggling charges.
- The brothers say they crossed into Sonbarsa to buy urea and DAP for their own rice fields because fertiliser was unavailable in Nepal.
- The case has exposed Nepal’s chronic fertiliser shortage and the pressure it places on farmers in Madhesh and other border areas.
- Indian authorities have tightened border enforcement, while Nepali farmers continue to struggle with inadequate local fertiliser supply.
