Farmers continue demands for fertilizer & refuse to call off protests

by Zulfick Farzan 22-10-2021 | 5:10 PM

COLOMBO (News 1st); Hundreds of farmers took the streets once again on Friday (22) demanding fertilizer be released for their cultivations.

These protests took place in Anuradhapura, Medwachchiya, Dimbulagala, and Matale.

A verbal altercation was reported in Medawachchiya between the leading figure of the Agrarian Movement and the local Agriculture Officer.

The farmer demanded that the nano-nitrogen fertilizer imported from India be released to them.

For months, Farmers across many areas in Sri Lanka have been protesting against the shortage of fertilizer in the country.

The ban on chemical fertilisers — widely used in the tea and rice industries — was opposed by farmers who staged protests after reporting failing vegetable crops as existing stocks began to run out within weeks.

The promulgated regulation restricting and banning the import of fertilizers and agrochemicals is leading to widespread concern among Sri Lanka’s farmer community, industry associations, practitioners, and agricultural professionals.

The Sri Lankan Government has also decided only to use organic fertilizer in the country and plans on importing organic fertilizer from overseas.