Farmers scramble for fertiliser as paddy planting season begins amid shortages

Delayed supply, inadequate stock and annual distribution bottlenecks force many farmers to queue for days or cross into Indian markets.

Maharaja Yadav of ward 5 of Narainapur Rural Municipality in Banke survives on the harvest from her five kattha (0.17 hectares) of farmland, which feeds her family for a year and also helps cover daily expenses.