Nepal Faces Fertilizer Crisis Amid West Asia Conflict and Supply Chain Disruptions

Kathmandu. The ongoing conflict in West Asia has triggered price hikes and supply chain disruptions in the international market, leading to a deepening chemical fertilizer crisis in Nepal. Recent attempts to import urea have failed as shipping companies did not submit bids for government tenders.

According to Bishnu Pokharel, head of Agriculture Inputs Company Limited, two tenders for urea were unsuccessful, and a subsequent 21-day re-tender also failed to attract bidders. The crisis is attributed to the difficulty in sourcing fertilizer in the international market due to the West Asia conflict, with prices surging by 25 to 30 percent. Pokharel notes that the price of chemical fertilizer has increased by $104 per ton in just one week.