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Govt. gets tough as farmers continue protests

24 Jul 2021

  • Only handful of farmers received fertiliser subsidy: Farmers
  • Shortcomings in distribution network will be resolved: Aluthgamage 
By Yumiko Perera After an inspection tour of several private sector fertiliser companies in Peliyagoda and Kelaniya earlier last week, Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage revealed that the fertiliser companies in question had nearly 102,000 MT of fertiliser in their possession, but only released a limited amount of stocks into the market. Whilst the companies had been given an ultimatum to release the fertiliser stocks to the respective agrarian service centres, stabilisation of fertiliser supplies to the local market itself has become a tough task, and the farming communities have had to bear the brunt of the shortcomings in fertiliser distribution.   Speaking with The Sunday Morning, Rathnayake, a farmer from Hambantota, stated that only a handful of farmers from his area had received the fertiliser subsidy that had been promised to them, owing to the shortage in stocks.   "We barely managed to get by without the fertiliser that was required for the present season. However, we managed to make the most of what little had been given to us. While only a limited number of farmers received fertiliser from the agrarian service centres, those who hadn't received the fertiliser subsidies were later given two bags of ammonia each, from the Lunama Agrarian Service Centre, for which they had been charged Rs. 1,500," he noted. Nitrogen levels in ammonia bags insufficient According to Rathnayake, a 50 kg bag of urea fertiliser contains 46% nitrogen, whereas a bag of ammonia fertiliser contains only 21%, and he further emphasised that there is a significant difference between the two when it comes to the matter of a successful yield. "Even if we use two bags of ammonia, it is impossible to match the required nitrogen levels that are necessary for the crops in order to get a successful yield, and we have to pay a hefty price for it as well," Rathnayake lamented.   Further adding that the prolonged use of ammonia fertiliser tends to degrade the quality of the soil, Rathnayake added that paddy farmers and vegetable farmers alike have had to face dire circumstances, especially given the prevailing situation in the country. Black market fertiliser sold at Rs. 5-6,000 Moreover, Rathnayake further added that the fertiliser that is meant to be brought to agrarian service centres is being sold at exorbitant prices, whilst the authorities turn a blind eye to it.   "Fertiliser bags that are meant to be distributed amongst farmers are being sold at black market prices. A bag of fertiliser goes up to Rs. 5,000-6,000 in certain places. However, authorities simply choose to ignore it, and authorities say that they won't import chemical fertiliser in the future. While we fully support the use of organic fertiliser, the farmers would have no option but to turn to other means to make ends meet," Rathnayake noted in conclusion. Ministry insists no shortage Meanwhile, speaking with The Sunday Morning, the Agriculture Minister Aluthgamage insisted that there is no shortage of fertiliser in the country.   However, measures are underway to make sure that the shortcomings in the distribution process would be eliminated promptly. "I went and inspected all the warehouses personally, and we found 102,000 MT available at the warehouses. The capacities of the private fertiliser companies are very high; some companies produce nearly 1,000 MT daily, but only release 200 MT into the market. There is clearly an issue here and accordingly, we have instructed the relevant companies to issue the stocks of fertiliser to the agrarian service centres without delay," the Minister noted. Furthermore, according to Aluthgamage, the fertiliser companies have been given clear-cut targets as to the amount of fertiliser stocks to be released to the market on a daily basis, The Sunday Morning learnt. Adding that the distribution process is set to commence over the upcoming weeks, the Minister of Agriculture emphasised that the farming communities should not worry, as there isn’t a fertiliser shortage in the country, and went on to elaborate that several measures have been put forth to manufacture the adequate amounts of organic fertiliser in the country itself, and if the need arises, the Government would also import the required amounts of organic fertiliser to be used for the upcoming Maha season. Meanwhile, several attempts by The Sunday Morning to get in touch with newly appointed State Minister of Organic Fertiliser Production, Supply, and Regulation, Paddy and Grains, Organic Food, Vegetables, Fruits, Chillies, Onion, and Potato Cultivation Promotion, Seed Production, and Advanced Technology for Agriculture Shasheendra Rajapaksa proved futile.


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