Provide accurate details on fertilizer imports & consult experts: Sajith

COLOMBO (News 1st); Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa today (21) requested the President, who was in attendance at the Parliament to only consult experts who provide accurate details on the use of fertilizer. Citing Professor in Soil Science at the Peradeniya University, Saman Dharmakeerthi, the Opposition Leader said that the nano urea presents many challenges to the cultivation done by farmers. Noting that nano urea is not an organic fertilizer and is expensive, the Opposition Leader said that a 2.5-liter bottle of fertilizer consists of only 100 grams of Nitrogen. Adding that normal paddy cultivation requires at least 50 kilograms of fertilizer at a minimum, Premadasa said that it has been proven that the Nitrogen content in nano urea is insufficient to nourish paddy even if it is applied four times a day. Moreover, the Opposition Leader said that research has not been conducted in Sri Lanka concerning these matters, as fertilizer such as nano urea has to be sprayed on tall plants such as Maize by using drones. Global examples of the potential impact this could have on the environment are also limited since it is a relatively new product. He further pointed out that there is no SLS standard for nano fertilizer and that the SLS standards on organic farming do not accept the quality of nano fertilizer. Premadasa also pointed out that the Government needs to accept that it has failed by declaring an emergency situation amid price controls and reversing gazettes, and for the Government to accept that small and medium scale mill owners contribute heavily to the economy. He also questioned as to what short and long term relief have been granted to small and medium scale owners who are unable to pay their debt installments, whether an estimate has been made on how much harvests will drop due to the unavailability of chemical fertilizer in the country, and what steps the Government has taken to counter the detriment caused to farmers and other stakeholders through the loss of yield. Responding to this, State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna said that an emergency is usually declared at a time of terrorism, the President declared the current emergency with the genuine need to protect the consumers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KwAQHxv3c4