brand logo

231,000 MT of fertiliser to be imported for 2022-23 Maha season

08 Jun 2022

  • India’s EXIM Bank to loan $ 55 mn, WB to provide $ 105 mn for urea imports 
BY Buddhika Samaraweera Cabinet approval has been granted to import 150,000 metric tonnes (MT) of urea, 45,000 MT of muriate of potash (MOP), and 36,000 MT of triple superphosphate (TSP) fertiliser required for paddy cultivation during the 2022-2023 Maha cultivation season. The Department of Government Information stated that the Cabinet had granted its approval to the said proposal presented by Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera.  Accordingly, the relevant quantities of fertiliser would be imported and distributed by Ceylon Fertiliser Company Ltd. and Colombo Commercial Fertilisers Ltd. Cabinet approval has meanwhile been given to sign an agreement with the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of India for a loan of $ 55 million to purchase urea fertiliser for the upcoming Maha season. The proposal has been tabled by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilisation, and National Policies, as the Government of India has agreed to provide a $ 55 million loan through the EXIM Bank of India for the procurement of urea. Furthermore, Amaraweera, speaking at an awareness programme for all Agricultural Research Officers and Agriculture officials at the Ambalantota Divisional Secretariat, said that the World Bank (WB) has agreed to provide $ 105 million to provide the complete urea fertilisers required for paddy cultivation. The use and importation of chemical fertilisers and agrochemicals were banned in April 2021, following a proposal presented by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa being granted Cabinet approval. However, this move saw much opposition from farmers, agronomists, and several other quarters. As a result, the ban on the import and use of chemical fertilisers was lifted in November, 2021, but farmers islandwide are still experiencing a serious shortage of fertilisers needed for their cultivation. Meanwhile, observing that the last Maha season’s yields decreased by about 50% despite some amount of fertilisers and pesticides having been procured by the farmers, Peradeniya University Faculty of Agriculture Senior Prof. Buddhi Marambe recently said that the ongoing Yala season’s yields could be reduced severely, as the shortage of fertilisers and pesticides has exacerbated at present. He also said: “Half of the Yala season has already gone and farmers have cultivated lesser extents. Importantly, the farmers do not have fertilisers and pesticides at all which is a much severe level of this issue. Per our estimation based on the unavailability of inputs and the lesser extent of cultivations, this time around, the total paddy yield will be reduced by a minimum of 50%.”


More News..