Govt. to subsidise 70% fertiliser for Maha
The government is drawing up plans to provide paddy farmers with 70 per cent of the total requirement of fertiliser for the Maha season at subsidised rates and the balance to be purchased either from the Agrarian centres or the open market.
In this respect, the cabinet is likely to arrive at a decision next week based on the recommendations from the Agriculture Department and the Ministry.
Sri Lanka requires a total of 150,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser for the Maha season which is the largest cultivation period in the country from September to March. Out of this total fertiliser requirement about 70 per cent will be provided by the government at subsidised rates. The government had indicated in the past that they were looking at providing fertiliser at Rs.10,000 for each 50 kg bag.
Fertiliser prices in the world market are said to be declining from the previous US$800 per MT to about $690 per MT. in this respect, the landing cost of the fertiliser is likely to be around Rs.15-16,000 per 50 kg bag.
Providing 70 per cent of the fertiliser by the government is a good option under the current conditions, Peradeniya University Weed Science Snr. Prof. Buddhi Marambe pointed out.
He explained that the balance 30 per cent can be purchased as either synthetic fertiliser in the open market by farmers or as organic fertiliser from the Agrarian centres.
These organic fertiliser producers referred to as eco-friendly fertiliser suppliers numbering 150 are those registered and have the Sri Lanka Standards (SLS) certification in a bid to ensure better quality.
The urea fertiliser had been promised by the World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
At present tenders have already been called for the purchase of Muriate of Potash (MOP) fertiliser that is required one month or 28 days after cultivation; and this is to be brought down under Asian Development Bank (ADB) funding.
In addition, about 50 per cent of the total 30,000 MT of Triple superphosphate will be provided by the government.
The next cultivation season is crucial as Sri Lanka lost on achieving adequate yields last year following the collapse of the agriculture sector following the government policy to turn to complete organic farming. However, the ban on synthetic fertilisers imposed on May 6 last year was reversed on November 30. Crop loss for the current Yala season is estimated at 40-45 per cent but realistic figures are yet to be released.
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