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Organic fertiliser to be imported

10 Aug 2021

  • Farmers allege fertiliser policy confusing
BY Dinitha Rathnayake The Government has decided to import organic fertiliser, natural minerals, and chelated (a type of bonding of ions and molecules to metal ions) plant nutrients for the Maha harvesting season of 2021/2022, amidst its import ban on chemical fertiliser. The Cabinet of Ministers had approved the relevant proposal made by the Minister of Agriculture on Monday (10). This comes a week after the Government relaxed regulations on the import of chelated minerals and micronutrients for the purpose of producing fertiliser. However, All Island Farmers’ Federation (AIFF) National Organiser Namal Karunaratne, speaking to The Morning, said the current Government is confusing the public by making decisions arbitrarily. “President Gotabaya Rajapaksa emphasised that the importation of chemical fertilisers will be completely stopped while increasing the production of organic fertilisers in the country. Now they are trying to import organic fertilisers. This is hilarious. Most of the farmers gave up their farmlands and farming due to the ban on chemical fertilisers. The present Government had no proper programme on banning or importing fertilisers. Decisions keep on changing,“ he noted. According to Karunaratne, 50% of the farmlands are abandoned due to the shortage of fertilisers. He also claimed that the Government does not have a proper plan to promote organic farming. At a meeting held on 22 April, President Rajapaksa noted that even though the use of chemical fertilisers helps obtain a high yield, the profit does not repair the harm caused to the people by polluted water in tanks and groundwater sources. He further said that the adverse effects of the use of chemical fertilisers have caused a number of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including kidney diseases, stressing therefore that in order to create a healthy and productive citizen, the Government should ensure the people’s right to healthy food. He thereby pledged to direct the country’s agriculture sector to organic fertiliser-based agriculture, adding that all relevant parties must extend their assistance to increase the production of organic fertilisers. Instead of the fertiliser subsidy, steps therefore would be taken to provide farmers with organic fertilisers, the President said, noting that a sum of $ 400 million spent annually to import fertilisers could be used to uplift the people’s lives. The Ministry of Finance, through the gazette notification No. 2238/45 of 31 July 2021, has relaxed regulations on the import of chelated (a type of bonding of ions and molecules to metal ions) minerals and micronutrients for the purpose of producing fertiliser. Accordingly, nitrogen (N) fertiliser, phosphate (PO₄³⁻) fertiliser, potassium (K) fertiliser, fertilisers containing such minerals and chemical fertilisers containing a combination of fertilising elements, that were previously banned from import, have been brought under the import control licence (ICL) by the aforesaid gazette notification. Department of Imports and Exports Controller General T.V.D. Damayanthi S. Karunarathne, in a letter dated 2 August 2021, has informed the Customs Director General and the chief executive officers (CEOs) of all commercial banks of the said decision. In the letter, Karunarathne has pointed out that the commercial banks should not proceed with any payments in respect of these items without a valid ICL from 31 July 2021. It is also stated in the letter that the Customs should not release the stocks of these items without a valid ICL from 31 July. The said gazette notification signed by Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa stated that the regulations promulgated through it shall only be applicable to the import of goods that have a date of bill of lading or airway bill on or after 31 July 2021.

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