• Dispute arose after NPQS said that there was harmful bacteria

By Kelum Bandara

Qingdao Seawin, the Chinese company embroiled in the fertilizer issue with Sri Lanka, said it had brought the matter to the notice of the Chinese government and vowed to take tough action against Sri Lanka internationally.

A spokesman for the company told Daily Mirror that if some interest groups in Sri Lanka insist on their own actions and break their promises, they will be abandoned by the international community and blacklisted by international traders. The dispute arose after Sri Lanka refused to accept the shipment of organic fertilizer sent by the company after the National Plant Quarantine Service (NPQS) said there was harmful bacteria called ‘Erwinia’ . However, Sri Lanka Standard Institute and the third-party testing organisation recommended by it cleared that the product is free of Erwinia.