Sunday Dec 22, 2024
Sunday Dec 22, 2024
Friday, 3 September 2021 00:22 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Government yesterday reassured availability of adequate organic fertiliser for the Maha season of the paddy cultivators saying elaborate measures and mechanisms have been put in place to avoid shortage. It said the entire process, including farmer awareness, technical assistance and financial assistance is being continued uninterrupted.
Various measures undertaken starting from the 2020 Yala season and those ongoing and planned were shared with media yesterday at a briefing organised by the Presidential Media Centre.
Agriculture Department Director General Dr. Ajantha de Silva, Commissioner General of Agrarian Services Department H.M.L. Abeyratne, State Ministry of Agriculture Additional Secretary Mahesh Lasantha Gammanpila, Agriculture Ministry Organic Fertiliser Consultant Dr. J.B. Hemantha Wijewardena, and Sustainable Agriculture Research and Development Centre Additional Director Dr. M.S. Nijamudeen were associated at the media briefing along with Presidential Media Spokesman Kingsly Rathnayake.
Though the Government has taken steps to manufacture local organic fertiliser, achieving the goal to manufacture the fertiliser quantity required for farmers was hampered due to the current pandemic situation. However, arrangements have been made to import organic fertiliser of high international standard to address any shortage and also use bio-pesticides that are covered by the Pesticides Act.
The full approval of the Fertiliser Advisory Committee has been granted for this. The officials also ensured that these organic fertilisers will be made available to the farmers after subjecting them to laboratory and biodiversity research and testing.
Financial incentives of Rs. 12,500 per hectare up to a maximum of two hectares will be provided to farmers to encourage organic fertiliser production.
The money will be credited to the personal account of the relevant farmers and plans have been made to provide financial assistance to the farmers who do not have bank accounts, under a special scheme. It was also stated that farmers who do not have the facilities to produce organic fertiliser have the opportunity to obtain organic fertiliser from other parties and the money will be reimbursed to them.
It was also revealed that a QR code will be issued for all imported and locally produced organic fertilisers in the future and through this facility anyone can check the quality of the organic fertiliser.
The ‘1920’ hotline provides solutions to farmers› problems and a team of technical officers covering all districts have been prepared for field inspections.
Responding to the questions, the public officials pointed out that a total cost of Rs. 26.62 billion will be spent for the entire process including the required fertilisers for the Maha Season, local production, imports, subsidies, technical assistance and awareness.
They also said that with this initiative, a considerable amount out of the Rs. 22.7 billion spent on the importation of chemical fertilisers will remain with the farmers in our country.
With the use of organic fertiliser, the country has developed a young entrepreneurship. The State banks are already in the process of granting them loans up to Rs. 1 million at a concessionary interest rate, while low-income earners will be provided with necessary machinery at a concessionary price, officials pointed out.
The Government officials assured that the farmers would never be isolated at any cost and further stressed that there would be no food shortage or famine risk in the country as a result of the organic fertiliser policy, as claimed by some media and various groups.
