Govt. to procure organic inputs for Maha season
The government has selected a bidder from China for the import of organic-based fertiliser inputs initially for paddy cultivation alone with tests expected to commence ahead of the Maha season.
The selection of bidders has already been finalised and the cabinet memorandum will be submitted tomorrow (Monday) on the intention of the award to the selected bidder, State Fertiliser Ministry Additional Secretary Mahesh Gammanpila told the Business Times on Thursday.
The importation of the minerals required in the preparation of compost and organic fertiliser in the country will be brought down for the Maha season alone, he said.
In this respect, prior to application of these fertilisers to the paddy fields there will be an efficacy testing carried out by the Department of Agriculture within a period of two to three weeks, he explained.
But this kind of testing is unlikely to produce data related to the yield and quality of the end product, agricultural experts point out.
“Materials required in the preparation of organic fertiliser will be brought down by the companies that are listed in the global Organic Material Review Institute that will take into account the ‘organic inputs’,” Mr. Gammanpila said.
Lakpohora and Colombo Commercial Fertilizer company, the two state- owned fertiliser importers, will be registered under the National Organic Control Unit under the purview of the Export Development Board (EDB) through which the procurement is to be carried out by the government for the Maha season alone, the Additional Secretary noted. The Maha season is from September to March. Queried whether the other sectors, like tea and other plantations will be provided the required fertiliser, he said that those are being considered affirming that there is a shortage of fertiliser that “will be addressed shortly”.
He pointed out that materials like potassium chloride (mostly in natural mineral form); nitrogen in granular and powder form; and amino acid powder that is processed with the permitted organic inputs will be imported. But Mr. Gammanpila fell short of indicating the actual source product that will be imported.
It is learnt that the substance the authorities hope to import has only 10 per cent of nitrogen with a water solubility of 92 per cent.
Experts point out that so far the quantities decided is for paddy only and in this respect they will import a quantity of 90, 000MT of this substance. But this amount is said to be insufficient.
Sri Lanka’s organic fertiliser and compost has a nitrogen content of 1-1.5 per cent and this needs to be enriched artificially. Experts point out that while initially the authorities issued the initial tender document material containing 20 per cent of nitrogen however, this was later reduced to 10 per cent. The former amount is not available in the market.
In the enriching process however, the nitrogen content is likely to increase upto 5 per cent, agricultural experts point out.
The organic-based material imported is learnt to be supplied from a company in China and the local party is one of the 21 bidders out of which six were shortlisted.
The experts said that it is learnt that the supplier has informed of the availability of 90,000MT that could be supplied and the imports are likely to commence from October at a cost of about US$497 per MT.
This kind of enriching the organic fertiliser is required to ensure that at the time of application the fertiliser will contain 5 per cent of the nitrogen content, an agricultural expert explained.
Under the normal process of chemical fertiliser application, two weeks after planting 105 kg of nitrogen is applied including 225 kg of urea per hectare and every two weeks thereafter 103.5kg of nitrogen is applied upto eight weeks. As a result of this the plant obtains the required amount of nutrition.
With the organic fertiliser about 250 kg per hectare will be applied and thereafter 250 kg after planting in two weeks and then every two weeks nitrogen solution will be applied on the plant.
Experts believe the authorities are likely to provide this organic fertiliser free to the farmers.
| New regulation, new gazette | |
| There was much attention drawn to the gazette notification issued last week relating to the reversal of the ban on chemical imports this week but it is believed this is only to reverse the decision on a few selected materials. State Fertiliser Ministry Additional Secretary Mahesh Gammanpila stated that the gazette notification published previously banning chemical fertiliser imports had overlooked some key materials required in the process of making organic fertiliser within the country. “Due to the banning of HS codes, certain products for organic products were also banned so we requested to amend this one and particularly the National Fertiliser Secretariat (NFS) to certify,” he said. However, agricultural academic experts point out that the authorities want to allow fertilisers to be brought in, which are necessary for the floriculture and cultivation in plant houses. |