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Chemical fertiliser import ban not lifted yet

02 Dec 2021

  • Farmers claim pvt. sector will refuse to import anyway
  • Decry astronomical prices
BY Buddhika Samaraweera The All Island Farmers’ Federation (AIFF) has claimed that although the Government has stated that the ban on the importation of chemical fertilisers and agrochemicals, including pesticides, fungicides, and weedicides/herbicides, would be lifted with effect from 24 November, the necessary legal procedures in that regard have not been completed so far. Speaking to The Morning yesterday (3), AIFF National Organiser Namal Karunaratne said the Government has not yet issued the relevant gazette notification to lift the said ban. He added that lifting the ban on the importation of chemical fertilisers and agrochemicals has been limited only to an oral statement made by Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage. Karunaratne also explained the practical issues that may arise in implementing the Government’s decision to allow the importation of chemical fertilisers and agrochemicals only through the private sector, without government intervention. “According to the information available to us, the private sector is not ready to import chemical fertilisers and agrochemicals because the Government has to pay billions of rupees in arrears to those companies for previously imported fertilisers,” he alleged. Karunaratne claimed that companies were reluctant to import chemical fertilisers and agrochemicals for the fear of potential issues, as the Government would not intervene in such. In the event of the private sector not being ready to import chemical fertilisers and agrochemicals, he said the Government has no power to compel private companies to do so, which will eventually put the farmers in trouble. Meanwhile, farmers have alleged that some agrochemicals that were sold for between Rs. 2,000 and Rs. 3,000 in the past are now being sold at a very high price of Rs. 9,000 to Rs. 10,000. Addressing a media briefing held yesterday, farmers said: “Even the agrochemicals available in the market have gone up in price, but there is no government intervention so far.” The Morning reported last week that while the Ministry of Agriculture does not expect to introduce a fixed price for chemical fertilisers and other agrochemicals, which would be imported by the private sector, they will, however, soon formulate a mechanism to regulate their prices. Ministry of Agriculture Secretary Prof. Udith K. Jayasinghe-Mudalige at that time told The Morning that such regulation would be necessary since suppliers of fertilisers and agrochemicals at the ground level may try to sell them at exorbitant prices in the future to make large profits. “We don’t say that everyone does it, but when it comes to pricing any product or service, ground-level suppliers set their own prices. Therefore, all relevant institutions including the Agriculture Ministry hope to formulate a programme to avoid such issues,” he added. When questioned whether there were any plans to impose fixed prices on imported chemical fertilisers and agrochemicals, he said that there would be no fixed prices. However, he said that it is planned to register all fertiliser and agrochemical outlets islandwide and develop a methodology for selling fertilisers and agrochemicals on a prescription-based system. A proposal to ban the use and importation of chemical fertiliser, pesticides, and herbicides/weedicides was submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the same was granted approval, following which the relevant gazette notification was issued on 6 May 2021. However, throughout the past few months, farmers in several areas were seen charging that there is a serious shortage of fertiliser for their cultivations, and a number of protests have also been organised by farmers’ organisations and various parties demanding that the Government provide a solution to the fertiliser shortage. Against this backdrop, the Government decided to revoke Extraordinary Gazette No. 2226/48 of 6 May 2021 that banned the importation of chemical fertilisers and agrochemicals, and to thereby allow the private sector to import the same, with effect from 24 November. However, according to the official website of the Government Printing Department, as of last evening, a gazette notification has not been issued revoking the previous Gazette Notification.


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