Chinese Organic Fertilizer: Sri Lanka to submit report to Chinese Embassy with reason for rejection

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka has decided to provide a report to the Chinese Embassy in Colombo highlighting the reasons for rejecting the consignment of Chinese Organic Fertilizer from Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd.

The report will be prepared by the Secretaries from the Ministry of Agriculture and the State Ministry of Agriculture.

Agriculture Secretary Senior Professor Udith K. Jayasinghe told News 1st that the method of ordering the consignment, the fertilizer failing to meet Sri Lanka's specification, and related matters will be included in the report, and it will be sent to all the necessary stakeholders as well.

Professor Jayasinghesaid the report will be submitted today (5).

Samples sent by Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd. to Sri Lanka were rejected after they were twice tested for the presence of a pathogen identified as Erwinia.

The Hippo Spirit vessel, which is carrying rejected Chinese Organic Fertilizer was located some 61 nautical miles away from Weligama, according to marine traffic websites.

The Hippo Spirit is carrying tonnes of rejected Chinese Fertilizer from Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd to Sri Lanka.

On the 22nd of September, the Hippo Spirit ship carrying 20,000 metric tonnes of organic fertilizer left for Colombo from China’s Qingdao Port.

But the ship was diverted to Singapore after harmful bacteria was detected in the samples of this fertilizer shipment.

The Hippo Spirit ship that didn’t return to China had left Singapore declaring it would be heading to the Colombo Port.

But on the 14th of this month, the automatic identification system (AIS) used to track the ship had been deactivated at the Malakka Strait.

Data available online showed the Hippo Spirit ship in Hambantota on the 24th of this month under the name Seiyo Explorer.

The Hippo Spirit and the Seiyo Explorer both share the same IMO number, and therefore it can be confirmed the Hippo Spirit is the Seioy Explorer.

The IMO Ship Identification Number is a unique seven-digit number that remains unchanged through a vessel’s lifetime and is linked to its hull, regardless of any changes of names, flags, or owners.