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Amid shortage, farmers call for more fertiliser to raise harvests
A persisting shortage of fertiliser is set to reduce paddy and vegetable harvests, threatening food supplies and farming incomes.
Farmers visiting Dambulla regional fertiliser stores were seen being issued with only two bags of fertiliser from a stock of 200 bags. Pix by Mahesh Keerthiratne
Prime agricultural areas such as Dambulla have been experiencing a shortage of fertiliser for the past three months and this is expected to continue for at least another month.
Farmers visiting Dambulla regional fertiliser stores were seen being issued with only two bags of fertiliser from a stock of 200 bags. Demand from farmers in Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Matale is in excess of 10,000 bags but stocks are far below this level.
All-Island Farmers Association President Namal Karunaratne, who personally visited some of the outlets where fertiliser was being issued, said that one reason for the shortage was that the urea fertiliser imported by the government was not up to standard.
The main fertilisers for paddy cultivation are urea, triple super phosphate (TSP) and muriate of potash (MOP), he said. As urea and TSP make sub-fertilisers used for other crops the deficiency has an impact on all agricultural sectors.
Mr. Karunaratne said farmers had expected to get fertiliser free of charge from the government and had delayed planting crops in anticipation of this benefit.
Mr. Karunaratne also said farmers were at a loss to find the right fertilisers for new varieties of crops.
“We are acutely aware of the shortage of fertiliser,” the Minister of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation, Bandula Gunawardena said, adding that the government had agreed to issue Rs. 3 billion to pay for fertiliser from a Rs. 9 billion fund.
All-Island Farmers Association President Namal Karunaratne (left), who personally visited some of the outlets where fertiliser was being issued talking to some of the farmers
A paddy cultivator from Monaragala, H.B. Sirisena, said at present the government issued fertiliser with a subsidy of Rs. 500 per bag but that this was only given in inadequate quantities. Farmers were unable to remedy the deficiency by paying more to buy bags at commercial prices because stocks were not available.
“At the moment, fertiliser is not available to be purchased even at a higher amount,” he said.
“Now we are ready to harvest and by the next month we need to apply fertiliser. Urea is usually available at this point but this time it is not,” Mr. Sirisena said.
“The shortage and delay in obtaining fertiliser will result in crop losses. Green leaves would turn yellow and lack quality.”
Rajangana Farmers Association head Upali Jayasinghe echoed these complaints, saying: “We are given 150kg of subsidised fertiliser for two acres of land but this is inadequate”.
Urea is the dominant form of nitrogen fertiliser used in Sri Lanka as soil fertility has declined throughout the island due to the depletion of soil organic matter and loss of plant nutrients.
Because of this, organic fertilisers have a limited benefit, Mr. Jayasinghe claimed. “As a result, many have recommended using straight fertilisers instead of fertiliser mixtures for food crops.”
The CEO of Hayley’s Agro Fertilisers, Nandalal Perera, agreed with farmers that urea imports by the government were not sufficient to meet public demand but the National Fertiliser Secretariat said private companies were creating the shortage.