President assures adequate organic fertilizer for Maha seasons

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed the relevant officials to take steps to provide organic fertilizer required for the 'Maha' Season to farmers without any shortage, a statement from the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.

The President had also stressed the importance of implementing a comprehensive mechanism in consultation with all sectors in this regard.

President Rajapaksa gave these instructions during a special discussion held with the officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and the organic fertilizer manufacturers at the Presidential Secretariat recently.

Fertilizer manufacturers had said that the total amount of organic fertilizer required for agriculture could be produced locally within a few seasons.

The government spends a large amount of funds annually to import chemical fertilizers. The President had said that this amount could be used to encourage the production of organic fertilizer.

It was revealed at the discussion that the Ministry of Agriculture has taken a number of steps to make the programme a success. State banks have also come forward to offer low interest loans to make the project a success.

Plans have been made to educate the Agricultural Instructors and Agricultural Research Officers at district level on the use of organic fertilizers, the PMD statement said.

The ministers in charge of the subject had pointed out that the mechanism required to purchase organic fertilizer produced in all parts of the country by the National Fertilizer Secretariat and to distribute the fertilizer based on the type of crops including paddy has been formulated.

The President instructed the officials to inspect the soil at the rural level prior to the 'Maha' Season and obtain a report on the amount of fertilizer to be applied.

Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, State Ministers Mohan de Silva, Shasheendra Rajapaksa, Secretary to the President P.B. Jayasundera, Secretaries to the Ministries in charge of the subject and manufacturers of organic fertilizers were also present at this discussion.

The ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour’ policy statement of President Rajapaksa ensures the people's right to a non-toxic diet to create a healthy and productive citizen. In order to make this a reality, the President’s objective is to transform the entire agricultural sector of the country to use organic fertilizers. 

Sri Lanka completely banned the importation of chemical fertilizers and other agrochemicals recently in a bid to become the world’s first fully organic farming nation.