Farmers of Ampara hit by lack of fertilizer

COLOMBO (News1st): The Nawagiriyawa Reservoir in Ampara benefits seven farming communities that fall under the Gal Oya irrigation scheme. Although these seven farming communities are located in the Ampara district, the harvest of five communities is to be reaped in line with the cultivation patterns of Batticaloa. This is against a backdrop in which the Nawagiriyawa Reservoir in Ampara has been located, its operations are managed by Batticaloa District Irrigation Engineer's Office. Accordingly, farmers belonging to these four communities have harvested their crops before the rest of the 35 farmers in other communities. It has been 25 days since the Batticaloa District Irrigation Engineer's Office had released water from the Nawagiriyawa Reservoir to the fields in Uhuna on the 15th of March. However, farmers have given up their hopes of reaping a harvest this season. The shortage of fertilizer has affected nearly 3000 acres of paddy fields. Although the Batticaloa District Irrigation Engineer's Office bears the responsibility of releasing water to these fields, it is the Mayadunne Agrarian Services Centre that has the responsibility of issuing fertilizer. Don't the problems of these farmers highlight the lack of coordination between the ministries of agriculture and irrigation? Will such a country be self-sufficient in terms of rice?