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Grants to train farmers on how to make organic fertiliser
Madatugama Mahaweli Authority officials are now educating and training farmers on how to make and use organic fertiliser.
The Agriculture Ministry has launched a countrywide initiative and grant scheme, to provide capacity building training and adequate resources for farmers to boost the local level of manufacturing organic fertilisers for their own use.
Accordingly, the Agrarian Development Department, through its district offices, began conducting training and awareness campaigns on the advantages of organic farming and manufacturing organic fertiliser. The farmers are being told that excessive homemade fertiliser will be purchased by the office at a reasonable price.
At Meesalai in Chavakachcheri on Tuesday, the regional Agrarian Development office conducted sessions for a selected group of farmers, who are engaged in farming highland crops, on how to manufacture organic fertiliser using local materials.
The session was conducted by a trained agrarian officer attached to the local centre. More than fifty local farmers took part in the sessions and gained knowledge on adapting to the new shift of organic farming. Many of them also pointed out the difficulties in controlling weeds and stressed the need for weedicides.
“We have planned to conduct our training and awareness programmes to farmers from July 27 onwards to August 7 after relevant Agrarian Development officers are trained by the officials by Monday,” said A. Sundaramoorthy, Assistant Commissioner of the Agrarian Development Department of Kilinochchi.
For one hectare of paddy land, 500 kg of organic fertiliser, 5kg of plant nutrient ammonium acid, 35kg of potash and 10kg of bio-fertiliser have been recommended by the department. The Ministry would pay an incentive of Rs. 12,500 for each hectare not exceeding two hectares (five acres) to produce and use organic fertiliser for cultivation.
According to a communique issued by the department, state fertiliser companies are instructed to buy the entire production of organic fertiliser manufactured in due standard and it will be distributed among the farmers by September ahead of the Maha season.
State fertiliser companies are instructed to buy the entire production of organic fertiliser manufactured in due standard and it will be distributed among the farmers by September ahead of the Maha season.
Amid the acute shortage for fertilisers for the ongoing Yala season, and continuing protests by the farmers, Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage and State Minister Shashendra Rajapaksa made a surprise visit last week to the main store complexes of private fertiliser companies located in Peliyagoda and Kelaniya.
They found that private fertiliser companies are retaining fertiliser stocks in their stores without releasing them to the market. The companies were warned that if they failed to release the minimum amount of fertiliser, steps will be taken to distribute them through State fertiliser companies.
It was revealed that certain private companies are issuing a low quantity of 300 Metric Tonnes (MT) or less when they are required to release 600 MT on a given day.
Meanwhile, the Mahaweli, Agriculture, Irrigation and Rural development Ministry Secretary, Retired Major General Sumedha Perera issued a directive this week seeking islandwide estimates of paddy lands to be cultivated under the Maha season and fertiliser requirements.
Accordingly, each agrarian service centre is tasked with the responsibility of compiling details of paddy cultivation under three irrigation types – major, minor, rain – and the requirements for organic fertilisers.
| Questions remain on import of chemical fertiliser The National Fertiliser Secretariat is yet to respond to the Sri Lanka Customs over a shipment containing 9,795 metric tonnes (MT) of urea into the Colombo port since the ban on chemical fertiliser came to effect on May 6. Sri Lanka Customs Deputy Director and Spokesperson Sudaththa Silva told the Sunday Times the department found that there had been no violations of Customs regulations on the import of the fertiliser which took more than six months to reach Sri Lanka since approval was given on March 6. “Our probe indicated that there have been no false claims as declared by the company involved. All necessary documents with regard to the import are in order and it is a legal import,” Mr Silva said. However, the Customs Department is yet to receive instructions from the National Fertiliser Secretariat on the next course of steps that need to be taken with regard to the import. | |