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‘Maha’ paddy fertiliser distribution commences 

12 Oct 2021

BY Buddhika Samaraweera  The Agriculture Ministry has announced that the distribution of organic fertiliser required for paddy farmers during the Maha season cultivation will commence from today (13).  In a media statement issued yesterday (12), Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage stated that the fertiliser distribution programme is planned to commence from the Ampara District and in certain other districts. It was also decided at a discussion held on Monday (11) to give priority in the distribution of organic fertiliser to paddy-growing districts such as Ampara, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Monaragala, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Kurunegala, Hambantota, and Puttalam.  The statement from the Ministry further read that solid organic fertiliser will be distributed to all agrarian service centres so that all farmers, except those who have already received government assistance for the production of organic fertiliser, can obtain the fertiliser from the agrarian service centres in each area. A proposal to ban the use and importation of chemical fertilisers, and agrochemicals such as 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 in May 2021. The Government had then decided to promote the use of organic fertilisers, and as a result, farmers were seen charging that there is a serious shortage of fertiliser for their cultivations over the past few months. 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. Meanwhile, the All Ceylon Farmers’ Federation (ACFF) has recently charged that the Agriculture Ministry and other relevant authorities have so far failed to formulate a proper programme to provide organic fertiliser to farmers despite the commencement of the Maha season. Speaking to The Morning on 5 October, ACFF Convener Namal Karunaratne claimed that although Aluthgamage has stated that the Ministry would take steps to provide fertiliser without any shortage during the Maha season, no practical programme has yet been formulated in this regard. “Recently, we saw Aluthgamage saying that action will be taken to provide fertiliser to farmers without any shortage from the coming Maha season, but the Maha season has already begun. So how can a subject Minister who doesn’t even know when the Maha season begins, make a plan for this,” he queried. Karunaratne further noted that due to the lack of the timely provision of fertiliser, there could be a risk of farmers cultivating only for their own consumption, which could eventually lead to food shortages throughout the country. “If farmers don’t continue to get the fertiliser they need on time, they will not be able to grow crops for sale. Instead, they will grow crops only for their own consumption. As a result, there may be a food shortage in the country,” he claimed.


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