Fertiliser fix digs deeper
Sri Lanka’s fertiliser problems are deeply rooted in a stock of fertiliser tainted with microorganisms said to be waiting until tests of another batch of fertiliser sampl is carred out.
There is no provision from the Plant Protection Act to go for the same test from the same batch of fertiliser because approval has not been granted to import the fertiliser from China’s Qingdao Seawin Biotech company since two tests have already failed, Agriculture Department Director General Dr. Ajantha De Silva told the Business Times on Wednesday.
The awarding of the tender to Qingdao company was carried out in a way that the total quantity will be imported in five shipments. As a result each shipment will have to go through the same procedure adopted for the first shipment. Authorities obtained court orders to stop payment to Qingdao as a result of which they are now trying to use diplomatic measures to get it through.
“Quarantine is a law in the country – it is like a visa for a person – then you can’t forcefully enter the country,” the DG said.
“If the fertiliser samples were passed and then come to Sri Lanka based on a permit given by the National Plant Quarantine Services (NPQS) to come here and unload then definitely we will get a sample,” Dr. De Silva explained.
Even the same company can try with another sample for which they will have to make a request for a sample approval and send a new sample from another batch, the DG said.
Meanwhile, he also noted that about one kilogram of the Qingdao company fertiliser was also sent to another local institute for testing. There had been concern regarding this testing carried out since lab reports indicated that there were microorganisms in them.
However, this has only been tested in a controlled environment to ascertain the efficacy of the said fertiliser sample, Dr. De Silva said adding that the rest of this stock has been destroyed.
Dr. De Silva explained that they have been involved in identifying required fertiliser from Sri Lankan sources and as for nano fertilizer and the potassium chloride, they too have been given for distribution to all the Agrarian centres.
In this respect, the different areas where this fertiliser has been given farming has already commenced, he noted.
He noted, “We are not really playing with the farmers we are trying to given adequate nutrition.”
Commenting on nano nitrogen fertiliser it has been pointed out that the recommendations can change from the product’s producing country, India and how it can be used in Sri Lanka.
Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said that the company has requested for another test to be carried out on the fertiliser from Qingdao company but noted “we are not going to get it from the same shipment.”
He insisted they have to take it back to China and redo it “according to our specifications and then we can get an independent lab and then we are doing the testing in our own labs also”.