• Ministry briefs Chinese embassy

By Kelum Bandara  

The Agriculture Ministry yesterday briefed the Chinese embassy that it could not allow the shipment of controversial stock of fertilizer into the country.  

An embassy delegation held talks with Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Ministry Secretary Prof. Udith K. Jayasinghe and other officials about the issue. The Chinese company ‘Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group’ is now embroiled in a dispute with the Sri Lankan authorities after Sri Lanka’s National Plant Quarantine Service (NPQS) rejected fertilizer samples provided by it over detection of harmful bacteria called’ Erwinia’. 

 
The company has disputed the detection made and sent a Letter of Demand requesting  US $ 8 million as compensation from NPQS Deputy Director Dr. W.A.R.T.Wickramarachchi. The company is insisting that the NPQS findings are inaccurate.   

Prof. Jayasinghe told Daily Mirror that the Chinese side was briefed that the shipment could not be accepted due to legal reasons in Sri Lanka.  “We explained to them as to why we cannot accept the shipment,” he said.