Sri Lanka searches globally for organic fertiliser
Sri Lanka’s farmers are facing one of the worst crises, left with only the compost they prepared as state authorities have failed to provide the necessary fertiliser, carrying out experiments just ahead of farming for the largest cultivation season in the country. Authorities are faced with the daunting task of finding fertiliser from suppliers in India, China and Australia.
The Agriculture Ministry has decided to utilise locally available products and at the same time they expect other products to come in, Agriculture Department Director General Dr. Ajantha De Silva told the Business Times adding that while they had sufficient Potassium stocks however, Nitrogen will be brought down from three countries.
Authorities held a meeting with suppliers of fertiliser on Wednesday following test reports from the National Plant
Quarantine Services (NPQS) on the samples from the Chinese organic fertiliser supplier Qingdao Seawin Biotech company that indicated there were Bacillus and Erwinia species that are harmful bacteria for plants and humans.
Asked whether fertiliser will be ready in time for the farmers, Dr. De Silva noted that the Nitrogen supply based on samples from India is likely to arrive within four days for testing.
He also noted that the Ministry has already informed suppliers of locally produced organic fertiliser to dispatch their stocks and these will be distributed starting from areas where cultivation starts early.
Authorities have already informed the local agent of the stocks of fertiliser from China that they are not conducive for use in Sri Lanka as they contain microorganisms.
The authorities have informed him that their stock cannot be unloaded at the Colombo Port following reports that a vessel named Hippo Spirit has already set off from Qingdao Port in China with the fertiliser.
Agriculture Ministry officials say that they have only opened a Letter of Credit for the start of the contract but that no funds were sent to the supplier.
Treasury officials said they will not release funds to clear the shipment since they have not received any directive to provide funds for such imports.