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Tea industry to import chemical fertiliser 

10 Oct 2021

  • Temporary measure during transition, says Tea Board Chairman 
  • Ministry of Plantations confirms permission granted 
By Pamodi Waravita  Sri Lanka Tea Board Chairman Jayampathy Molligoda announced yesterday (10) that the tea industry has been permitted to import “nitrogen-based chemical fertiliser” for the transitional period from chemical fertiliser to organic fertiliser, following the Government’s decision in late April this year to completely ban the use of chemical fertiliser within the country.  “The tea industry has been given permission to import nitrogen-based chemical fertiliser during this transitional period along with mineral fertiliser. The Tea Research Institute (TRI), in consultation with the SLTB and other stakeholders, are now in the process of formulating tea mixtures for mature areas and immature fields. The Government decision this week is a pragmatic approach and is a temporary arrangement to provide the necessary balanced nutrients. It is not going back to the excessive use of chemical fertiliser era at all. There is no change in the policy set out by the Cabinet on 28 April 2021,” Molligoda said on a Facebook post yesterday.  High-level officials at the Ministry of Plantations confirmed to The Morning that the Government did grant permission last week for the tea industry to import nitrogen-based fertiliser for the interim period. They added that this an entirely needs-based approach, although the larger goal and policy of organic agriculture still remains intact.   The Finance Ministry, through the gazette notification number 2238/45 of 31 July 2021, 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.  However, the Government stressed following this decision that it was not a reversal or even a relaxation of the ban on chemical fertiliser.  Various quarters of the industry have criticised the Government for its hasty ban on the use of chemical fertiliser, claiming that it has negatively affected and will continue to adversely affect the harvest and the quality of Ceylon tea.  On 30 September, the Planters’ Association of Ceylon (PA), at its 167th Annual General Meeting (AGM), predicted a 40% drop in tea exports next year due to the anticipated drop in tea production, driven mainly by the Government’s policy to ban the import of chemical fertilisers and agrochemicals. Although the PA claimed that it does not oppose a gradual and well-planned expansion of organic agriculture in Sri Lanka, it believes that the manner in which the current transition to organic agriculture has been managed is unfeasible.  However, in the aforementioned Facebook post, Molligoda said that “contrary to popular belief the tea production and auction sale figures have not shown any indication that the chemical fertiliser ban has adversely affected tea quality or production”.  He added that September ended with a total of 232 million kg of tea sales, as opposed to last year’s 204 million kilogrammes during the same time period.  “Unfortunately exporters are faced with constraints in securing shipping space and containers due to global economic logistics issues, thus depriving speedy Forex inflows. Three million kg are held up to the end of September. As a result there is a slight drop in export figures which can be recouped,” said Molligoda.  He also accused the Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) and the smallholders of not paying enough attention to the production of liquid and solid organic fertiliser. He further claimed that the authorities are not taking the necessary actions to import the balance requirement of fertiliser (chemical and minerals) for the production of the correct mixtures. Thus, he said that both of these problems could have resulted in a drop in production and quality.  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.

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