25 October 2021 08:45 am Views - 167
By Sandun A Jayasekera
Plantation Minister and Government spokesman Dr. Ramesh Pathirana said the government’s decision to import ‘Nano Nitrogen Liquid Fertilizer’ (NNLF) and Sulfate of Ammonia was not a deviation of the government policy of turning to organic fertilizer from chemical but giving an ear to the demands of farmers.
Minister Dr. Pathirana admitted that the changing to organic fertilizer from Chemical fertilizer has severely affected the tea industry and added that was why the government decided to immediately import a stock of ‘Nano Nitrogen Liquid Fertilizer’ (NNLF) and from India to apply for the tea plantations
“Tea plants cannot sustain only on organic fertilizer as it will lead to a drop in the quality of tea. For tea to grow properly and healthy, maintain the colour and taste of tea, you need to apply chemical fertilizer. That is why the government has decided to import immediately a consignment of NNLF from India and also Sulfate of Ammonia in the near future,” he said.
In a situation like this that affects the entire country in a negative manner, listening to farmers and taking a step back word was not a defeat to the government, he noted.Minister Dr. Pathirana said the first consignment of NNLF had already been unloaded at the Port of Colombo and distributed to all tea growers and tea plantations.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa decided to ban the use of chemical fertilizer to prevent ever increasing number of deaths related to Chronic Kidney Diseases, a direct impact of excessive use of chemical fertilizer, pesticide and weedicide.“However, the use of carbonic fertilizer alone in the agriculture and commercial plantation sector, stunts the harvest and negatively affects the growth of plants. The government is ready to permit controlled use of chemical fertilizer. But the government will not deviate from the policy to stick to the policy of using organic fertilizer for the good of all. Don’t forget that Sri Lanka had been branded as the granary of Asia and exported rice when our farmers used only organic fertilizer in the good old days, he emphasized.