President wants quick solutions to fertilizer related issues

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed officials to find immediate solutions to issues faced by farmers relating to the supply, distribution and use of fertilizer, the President’s Media Division said.  It said the issue of fertilizer is a common occurrence in many districts when cultivation starts.   

“Short, medium and long term solutions should be found to address the issue,” the President said. The natural composition of the soil has been drastically changed due to excessive use of chemical fertilizer. Farmers tend to use fertilizer in big quantity with the expectation of a high yield. The President highlighted the importance of shifting towards organic fertilizer by gradually decreasing the usage of chemical fertilizer.   

The President made these comments during a discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday to review the current status of the fertilizer supply and distribution.With the commencement of Yala season the issue of fertilizer has cropped up again. Farmers resort to increase paddy cultivation due to the high price for the crop.  The officials and the Governors pointed out that the restrictions on agri-imports, increase in the usage of lands for vegetable, fruits and grain cultivation are some of the contributory factors for the high demand for the fertilizer.   
The farmers should be apprised on how to use fertilizer effectively through agricultural officers and mass media, President said.   

The farmers in the North prefer to use more and more organic fertilizer and as a result of this, the Governor of the Northern Province Ms. P. S. M. Charles said the harvest is higher both in quality and quantity.   
If the farmers in other areas too use organic fertilizer like in the past, it will help solving many health hazards, President added.   

President Rajapaksa instructed the officials to pay special attention to the production of organic fertilizer according to relevant standards and to find out the varieties of crops that will grow fast using organic fertilizer.