Probe to be carried out into missing fertilizer

COLOMBO (News1st): An investigation would be launched into the disparity between the missing quantity in fertilizer bags distributed among farmers in Ambilipitiya recently, officials said. Farmers have been badly inconvenienced after the weight of free fertilizer bags distributed among them did not match the 50-kilogram quantity as indicated in the packet. The fertilizer bags had reached the storage facility of the agrarian services centre with its actual weight, a News 1st investigation found. Our reporter had been denied access to the storage facility on Sunday evening - despite being initially granted permission - but had been allowed to visit the premises on Monday afternoon. "Farmers allege that the were lights were on at the storage last evening. A concern arises whether they had done something at that time," Namal Karunaratne, the national organizer for the All Ceylon Farmers' Federation said. Kumari Gamaethige, the Ratnapura District Assistant Commissioner of Agrarian Development, said farmers would be allowed to visit the storage when fertilizer is distributed in future. "We will carry out a comprehensive investigation based on the information that we have received," she said.