While farmers have become weary of struggling to get fertiliser to commence Maha season cultivation which is supposed to have started by now, the Government seems to be in a dilemma as to how to balance various parties involved in its plan to go organic.
First, the Government had to deal only with farmers’ struggles and protests that kept intensifying and spreading, and the main challenge was ensuring the adequate distribution of fertiliser. However, the fertiliser situation is no longer a mere domestic matter, and two traditional rivals, i.e. India and China, have now become parties to the matter, and Sri Lanka is in a position where it has to make some difficult decisions regarding the procurement of fertiliser as well.
As The Morning reported on 26 October, despite the fact that China manufactured organic fertiliser has been found to contain harmful bacteria – not once but twice – by local experts, China keeps insisting that Sri Lanka conduct more tests to ascertain the quality of the said fertiliser. According to the State Minister in charge of the supply of organic fertiliser, Shasheendra Rajapaksa, China has refused to accept the results of tests conducted thus far. Consequently, Sri Lanka now has agreed to carry out a third test. However, showing certain indecisiveness on the part of the Government, Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said that samples from the fertiliser shipment, which is said to have reached Sri Lankan waters with 20,000 metric tonnes (MTs) of the said fertiliser, will not be re-tested and that no payment will be made to the Chinese firm that sent the unwanted fertiliser stock.
This situation raises many questions, one of the most important ones being how long is Sri Lanka planning to keep retesting Chinese organic fertiliser despite two consecutive tests conducted by recognised local institutions confirming its harmfulness. Obviously, China will want Sri Lanka to conduct tests until test results say that the said organic fertiliser is not harmful, despite having claimed that it will respect Sri Lanka’s autonomy and sovereignty. However, the state of affairs regarding the procurement of fertiliser does not reflect the same, and the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka has also raised concerns about Sri Lanka’s rejection. There is a serious question as to why Sri Lanka has to keep testing something that has been proven to be harmful by institutions the country relies on, and why Sri Lanka cannot consider other options like it would have done in the case of other types of import goods for which Sri Lanka is paying.
Moreover, this situation also begs the question as to the message the Government is giving about the qualifications, expertise, and the role of local institutions that conducted tests on Chinese organic fertiliser. Among them are state institutions such as the National Plant Quarantine Service (NPQS). The Government deciding to go for a third test is not a mere act of entertaining China’s request; it is also tantamount to questioning – in fact, doubting – the expert opinion provided by these institutions not once, but twice.
In that regard, there are questions that need answers, i.e. if the Government does not trust these institutions or if they are not capable of providing accurate test results, what is the point of funding and/or allowing them to operate in Sri Lanka hereafter, and if the results of a third test find that Chinese organic fertiliser is in fact harmless, will the Government decide on the next step based on the third test’s findings, disregarding the two previous test results that say otherwise?
All this is taking place in a context where Sri Lanka has already started importing high quality nano nitrogen liquid fertiliser from India, and the existence of geo-political aspects of this matter is undeniable. However, Sri Lanka being crushed between these two world powers’ game of thrones, is unfortunate. What is more unfortunate is, this shows a dark side of the international support Sri Lanka is receiving, i.e. with the support big countries provide, comes an unofficial agreement that renders Sri Lanka unable to say no.
How the Government will deal with the situation after the results of the third test on Chinese organic fertiliser are issued is a mystery for now. However, the present situation suggests that the ship that is said to have brought organic fertiliser is unlikely to return until Sri Lanka accepts the fertiliser it brought.Organic rejection, Chinese interjection
27 Oct 2021
Organic rejection, Chinese interjection
27 Oct 2021
While farmers have become weary of struggling to get fertiliser to commence Maha season cultivation which is supposed to have started by now, the Government seems to be in a dilemma as to how to balance various parties involved in its plan to go organic.
First, the Government had to deal only with farmers’ struggles and protests that kept intensifying and spreading, and the main challenge was ensuring the adequate distribution of fertiliser. However, the fertiliser situation is no longer a mere domestic matter, and two traditional rivals, i.e. India and China, have now become parties to the matter, and Sri Lanka is in a position where it has to make some difficult decisions regarding the procurement of fertiliser as well.
As The Morning reported on 26 October, despite the fact that China manufactured organic fertiliser has been found to contain harmful bacteria – not once but twice – by local experts, China keeps insisting that Sri Lanka conduct more tests to ascertain the quality of the said fertiliser. According to the State Minister in charge of the supply of organic fertiliser, Shasheendra Rajapaksa, China has refused to accept the results of tests conducted thus far. Consequently, Sri Lanka now has agreed to carry out a third test. However, showing certain indecisiveness on the part of the Government, Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said that samples from the fertiliser shipment, which is said to have reached Sri Lankan waters with 20,000 metric tonnes (MTs) of the said fertiliser, will not be re-tested and that no payment will be made to the Chinese firm that sent the unwanted fertiliser stock.
This situation raises many questions, one of the most important ones being how long is Sri Lanka planning to keep retesting Chinese organic fertiliser despite two consecutive tests conducted by recognised local institutions confirming its harmfulness. Obviously, China will want Sri Lanka to conduct tests until test results say that the said organic fertiliser is not harmful, despite having claimed that it will respect Sri Lanka’s autonomy and sovereignty. However, the state of affairs regarding the procurement of fertiliser does not reflect the same, and the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka has also raised concerns about Sri Lanka’s rejection. There is a serious question as to why Sri Lanka has to keep testing something that has been proven to be harmful by institutions the country relies on, and why Sri Lanka cannot consider other options like it would have done in the case of other types of import goods for which Sri Lanka is paying.
Moreover, this situation also begs the question as to the message the Government is giving about the qualifications, expertise, and the role of local institutions that conducted tests on Chinese organic fertiliser. Among them are state institutions such as the National Plant Quarantine Service (NPQS). The Government deciding to go for a third test is not a mere act of entertaining China’s request; it is also tantamount to questioning – in fact, doubting – the expert opinion provided by these institutions not once, but twice.
In that regard, there are questions that need answers, i.e. if the Government does not trust these institutions or if they are not capable of providing accurate test results, what is the point of funding and/or allowing them to operate in Sri Lanka hereafter, and if the results of a third test find that Chinese organic fertiliser is in fact harmless, will the Government decide on the next step based on the third test’s findings, disregarding the two previous test results that say otherwise?
All this is taking place in a context where Sri Lanka has already started importing high quality nano nitrogen liquid fertiliser from India, and the existence of geo-political aspects of this matter is undeniable. However, Sri Lanka being crushed between these two world powers’ game of thrones, is unfortunate. What is more unfortunate is, this shows a dark side of the international support Sri Lanka is receiving, i.e. with the support big countries provide, comes an unofficial agreement that renders Sri Lanka unable to say no.
How the Government will deal with the situation after the results of the third test on Chinese organic fertiliser are issued is a mystery for now. However, the present situation suggests that the ship that is said to have brought organic fertiliser is unlikely to return until Sri Lanka accepts the fertiliser it brought.Kapruka
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!