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President, Premier, Finance Minister to hold crisis talks tomorrow over fertilizer issue
Government leaders, including President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, will hold a crisis meeting tomorrow to find an urgent solution to the fertilizer issue, Agriculture Minister Duminda Dissanayake said.
He said his ministry arranged the meeting as farmers from several parts of the country were complaining about a fertilizer shortage. The minister said the shortage was artificially created by traders who had hoarded stocks, expecting a price increase.
“These traders make farmers pay more for subsidised fertilizer,” he said.
The minister urged farmers to inform the ministry and Consumer Affairs Authority if any trader was hoarding fertilizer stocks and warned that tough action would be taken against the offenders.Meanwhile paddy and vegetable farmers said they were badly affected by the shortage of fertilizer and the Government’s policy decision to stop subsidising fertilizer.
Vegetable farmer W. Rupasinghe said many famers had to share or borrow fertilizer to cultivate their crops. He accused the Government of resorting to various ruses to force the farmers to give up cultivation and sell their land to companies.