President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed relevant officials to take steps to provide organic fertiliser required for the Maha season to farmers without any shortage. 

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

A statement from President’s Media said the ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour’ policy statement 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 fertilisers.  

President Rajapaksa pointed out the need to achieve this goal, which aims for the benefit of the future generations, without causing any hindrance to the farmers. For this purpose, the production capacity of organic fertilisers should be increased. 

Rajapaksa instructed the officials to import the required quantity of high quality organic fertiliser if the quantity of fertiliser produced locally is not sufficient.

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

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

The statement said the Government spends a large amount of funds annually to import chemical fertilisers. The President said that this amount could be used to encourage the production of organic fertiliser.

It was revealed at the discussion that the Ministry of Agriculture had taken a number of steps to make the program 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 fertilisers. The ministers in charge of the subject pointed out that the mechanism required to purchase organic fertiliser produced in all parts of the country by the National Fertiliser Secretariat and to distribute the fertiliser 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 fertiliser to be applied.

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

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