Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau gets contract to build organic fertiliser manufacturing centre 

• New facility to be established in Mahaweli Knuckles Organic Agricultural Zone

The Cabinet of Ministers, at its meeting this week, agreed to award the direct contract to construct an organic fertiliser production centre in Mahaweli Organic Agricultural Zone, to the State-run Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau (CECB).

The Government aims to produce organic fertiliser required for crop cultivation in the long run and it has been planned to establish two organic fertiliser production centres with laboratory facilities in Wellewela and Guruwela Mahaweli zones.

“We believe this will be a great milestone in the agriculture industry and hope that there will be more such facilities established around the country in future,” Cabinet Co-Spokesman and Mass Media Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said at the post-Cabinet meeting media briefing.

The facility in Wellewela is planned to be established as the first step of the initiative and will have a capacity to produce around 2,000 tons of fertiliser per annum.

Subject to the provisions of Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority Act, Moragahakanda, Kalu River and Mahaweli ‘F’ zone has been declared to be a sustainable development zone to carry out organic agricultural production by a gazette notification.

The project is expected to strengthen the income of the farmer community, whilst also boost the agriculture production utilising organic input. 

It is believed to equip the farmer community with enhanced skills on organic agriculture. The proposal to this effect from Irrigation Minister Chamal Rajapaksa was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers on Monday. (CdeS)