President Gotabaya Rajapaksa stated today (29) that the decision to ban the importation of chemical fertilizers will not be reversed under any circumstances. He also added that the opinion and involvement of experts is essential in implementing and educating farmers about the importance of this transformation. The President made these statements during a discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat to raise awareness on the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides and the ban on such imports. Pointing out the expense of  $221 million in 2019 to import chemical fertilizer, the President noted that there has been no qualitative increase in agricultural production. He also stated that this effort is in line with the Government's effort to guarantee the right of the people to a non-toxic diet to produce healthy and productive citizens. Highlighting that the Government will take swift measures to stabilize the income of farmers after the ban, he ensured that the government will directly intervene to provide all necessary facilities to the producers to encourage the production of organic fertilizer at the district level.