NEWS‘Maha season ruined, Yala will be a disaster’
Posted on January 3rd, 2022

By Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island

No agro-chemical imports yet, only fraction of liquid fertilizer received

The government lifted the ban on agro-chemical imports, well over a month ago, but the country is yet to receive much-needed fertiliser supplies.

The President’s Office on Nov. 22 announced the ending of the ban on agro-chemicals imports introduced on April 22, 2021.

However, Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) MP Rohini Kaviratne claims that though Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage assured the Parliament agro chemicals would be imported, so far the private sector hasn’t been given the approval.

Addressing a gathering at Rattota over the weekend, the former UNPer said that the farming community had been deprived of fertiliser as well as agro-chemicals.

Lawmaker Kaviratne alleged that Minister Aluthgamage sabotaged the move to resume agro-chemical imports by removing the Registrar of Pesticide Dr. J. A. Sumith. MP Kaviratne emphasized that the government owed an explanation over the top official’s removal. When contacted yesterday afternoon, Sumith declined to comment.

Minister Aluthgmage couldn’t be contacted because he was at a meeting. Earlier, Aluthgamae declared that the Registrar of Pesticide was removed in the wake of him lifting the ban on five pesticides, including glyphosate imposed seven years ago.

Lawmaker Kaviratne said that unless urgent measures were taken to import fertilizer and agro-chemicals, farmers wouldn’t be able to engage in cultivation in the early part of this year. The agriculture ministry seemed to be even unaware of the two cultivation seasons namely, Maha (September-March) and Yala (May-August), lawmaker Kaviratne said.

Responding to The Island queries, the lawmaker pointed out that the controversy over the rejected consignment of Chinese carbonic fertilizer and the subsequent decision to pay the supplier USD 6.7 mn distracted public attention from the real issue. MP Kaviratne emphasized that the issue at hand was the failure of the government to deliver the promised carbonic fertiliser needed for Maha thereby deprived them of both fertiliser of any kind and agro-chemicals as well. On the other hand, of 1.2 litres of liquid nano fertilizer ordered from India, a relatively small quantity had been received so far, the MP said, alleging that the Agriculture Ministry ruined the agro sector. About one mn litres of liquid fertiliser were yet to be delivered, well informed sources revealed.

The MP said that the Agriculture Ministry within one year had achieved the unthinkable. Asked to explain, she said that even during the war the farming community served the country at the risk of their lives. Regardless of sporadic terrorist attacks on paddy growing districts, the LTTE couldn’t dishearten them, the Matale District MP said. But the current dispensation had compelled the farmers to give up cultivation by depriving them of the basic necessities, the outspoken MP said.

The SJB spokesperson said that the Agriculture Department recently acknowledged that the yield in the major paddy growing districts of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa would be approximately 50 percent of the normal output whereas in the East only 1/3 of paddy land had been cultivated. The total output could be as low as half of previous years, MP Kaviratne said, urging the government to take stock of the situation, at least now.

With the country experiencing an unprecedented debt servicing problem, a sharp drop in paddy, vegetable and maize production could further aggravate the US Dollar crisis, the MP warned, warning the government to stop acting the goat.

MP Kaviratne said that the foolish SLPP administration had caused immeasurable damage to the national economy. The Opposition would raise the issue in Parliament once the new session commenced on January 18, she said.

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