• Planters Association says outcome of the ban will be detrimental to national economy
• Says govt. needs to see the bigger picture as drop in tea and rubber production expected 
• Outcome of ban likely to lead Ceylon Tea to lose global market share
• Ban on chemical fertilizer has already resulted in rubber plantations being wiped out

By Shabiya Ali Ahlam
The government will have to come to its senses with regard the ban on chemical fertilizers as the current decision is more detrimental to the economy than the supposed negative implications arising from the usage of such fertilizers, Sri Lanka’s planters said.

The Planters Association of Ceylon (PA) asserted that the national economy is on track to face a bigger loss than what is calculated from the usage of chemical fertilizers, and it is essential that the government explores the possibility of revising its decision in this regard before it is too late.

“We are hopeful that the government will see the bigger picture because we need the foreign exchange and to hold our place in the global market. Experience has taught us that once we lose our mark in the global market, it is difficult to get back. 

We hope sooner or later they will come to their senses and make a wise decision in the interest of the country,” said PA Media Spokesperson Roshan Rajadurai while speaking to reporters yesterday during a round table discussion after the 167th Annual General Meeting of the PA 
held virtually.

With the ban having come into effect and the plantations expected to use organic fertilizers, the PA expects a drop in production, both in tea and rubber, where the heaviest impact will be felt by the tea plantations given the need for more frequent applications of fertilizers to boost quantities.

While the government continues to encourage the usage of compost, Rajadurai said that by no means will organic compost give the expected yields in commercial agriculture and the likely outcome will be foreign exchange earning contracting further due to a drop in volumes exported.

The usage of organic fertilizers in plantations is a practice that has been followed for years if not decades. However, natural fertilizers are not used alone, but is applied alongside synthetic fertilizers for the maximum output, he noted.

Nevertheless, the PA said its stakeholders are fully complying with the government’s decision and has gone ahead in doing what is possible.

“Till the government makes a decision in this regard, we will go ahead with using organic fertilizers. We are doing what we can with the time and limitations that we have,” said Rajadurai. The PA also pointed out that they face no loss with authorities rejecting organic fertilisers from China as there were no plans to use such anyway even if imported.

“We will never know what will happen. But we have not stopped having continuous dialogue with the authorities in resolving this problem. We hope they take a positive approach towards the tea industry since it brings in foreign earnings,” cautioned Rajadurai.

The PA also drew attention to the rubber industry, which has already taken a hit, stressing that the shortage of agrochemicals is only aggravating its position.

Despite rubber planters having raised concerns on the spread of Pestalotiopsis, a fungal infection, its spread has become an epidemic and could be similar to the ‘coffee rust’ which wiped out Sri Lanka’s coffee plantations in the late 1800s.  Due to lack of proper attention and interventions, Pestalotiopsis has spread across all rubber growing regions in the country, affecting over 20,000 hectares of rubber cultivations. 

The PA stressed that one of the key issues in addressing Pestalotiopsis is the lack of necessary fertilizer and the required agrochemicals. 

“Since rubber trees lose their foliage due to the disease, to compensate and provide extra nourishment for foliage re-growth, the Rubber Research Institute’s main recommendations is to apply additional inorganic fertilizer,” the PA said. It added that it is critical that the disease must be dealt with by the government, considering that a vast majority of Sri Lanka’s rubber plantations are managed by smallholders, not commercial growers. 

The PA asserted that shortage of fertilizer would hinder progress on replanting rubber, given that the uptake of fertilizer is most crucial when rubber is in the nursery phase.