(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) – President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has ordered the relevant authorities to provide fertilizer required for the Yala season to farmers without any shortages, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.
The fertilizer stocks are expected to reach the country in the next few days.
The President asked the relevant authorities to promptly deliver the fertilizer to the farmers without a delay. President also informed the officers not to cause hardships to the farmers.
The President issued these directives at a meeting held at the Presidential Secretariat Tuesday to review the current status of fertilizer importation and distribution.
Issues pertaining to the importation of fertilizer were discussed at length and the President advised the officials to obtain the standards inspection reports within 10 days before distribution.
Farmers are resorting to use excessive fertilizer, hoping for a better harvest. The President pointed out the need to educate the farmers on the problems arising in the use of chemical fertilizer and explained that they should be directed to use organic fertilizer. He said steps should be taken to educate the farmers.
There is a lot of interest in organic fertilizer products. President Rajapaksa stressed the need to increase the production of organic fertilizer to meet the needs of the market and a healthy future generation. The countries that produce high quality fertilizer should be identified and imported. The President instructed the officials to identify the crops cultivated annually and the quantity of fertilizer.
Noting that there is an increasing demand for produce grown using organic fertilizer, President Rajapaksa stressed the need to increase the production of organic fertilizer in order to meet the needs of the market and also for a healthy future generation. He said the countries that produce high quality fertilizer should be identified and import fertilizer from them.
The President instructed the officials to identify the crops cultivated annually including paddy and the amount cultivated and import adequate quantities of fertilizer.
Minister Chamal Rajapaksa, Secretary to the President P.B. Jayasundara, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance S.R. Attygalle, Secretary to the Ministry of Mahaweli, Agriculture, Irrigation and Rural Development Neel Bandara Hapuhinna, Secretary to the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Export Agriculture Ravindra Hewavitharana, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, H.A. Dissanayake and senior officials representing the Department of Agriculture, Ceylon Fertilizer Company and fertilizer importers were present at the discussion.
