NO permission to unload Chinese fertilizer aboard Hippo Spirit

COLOMBO (News 1st): The Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday (2) reiterated that Sri Lanka will not allow for Chinese organic fertilizer on board the Hippo Spirit bulk carrier to be unloaded in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has not issued any kind of permission for the shipment to be unloaded in Sri Lanka, Senior Professor Udith K. Jayasinghe, the Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture told News 1st. Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture also emphasized that there are no plans to re-test the organic fertilizer samples onboard the ship by a third party. "Both the Minister and I have informed before, that under the Plant Protection Act we do not have a procedure to conduct tests using the third party," Dr. Ajantha de Silva, the Director-General of Agriculture, said during an interview with News 1st. He further reiterated that the current shipment aboard the Hippo Spirit vessel, CANNOT be re-tested since a Bulk Approval has NOT been granted under Plant Quarantine; adding that only a fresh sample of fertilizer could be subjected to tests if needed.