Govt. has so far reversed ban on chemical fertiliser twice: Vijitha Herath

Urges Govt. to reveal its clear policy without deceiving people

• The Finance Ministry has submitted in Parliament another Gazette notification today for the approval to import chemical fertiliser
• Organic fertiliser brought from China had revealed that it contained Erwinia pathogen and that it was harmful to most vegetable and potato cultivation

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera

Claiming that the Government had reversed the decision to ban the use of chemical fertiliser, the National People’s Power (NPP) yesterday urged the Government to reveal its clear policy without deceiving the people.

NPP MP Vijitha Herath told parliament that the Government had allowed the import of chemical fertilisers, Nitrogenous and chemical fertilisers, phosphatic through the Gazette notification 2238/45 in July.

“These are not organic fertiliser. They are chemical fertiliser, TSP and MOP. The Finance Ministry has submitted in Parliament another Gazette notification today for the approval to import chemical fertiliser. This means that the Government has reversed the Gazette on the ban of chemical fertilizer twice now,” he said.

 He said the Government should clearly state its policy without putting the farmers in danger.

 “Don’t deceive the farmers. The economy cannot be revived by cheating them and  the economy will crash further,” he said.

 The MP also said the Government was planning to import urban waste from China even though it claimed to import sterilized organic fertilizer with 17 percent of Nitrogen.  He said the sample of the organic fertiliser brought from China had revealed that it contained Erwinia pathogen and added that it was harmful to most vegetable and potato cultivation.

“It is evident that this organic fertiliser has not been sterilized as it was approved by the Cabinet to import only sterilised fertiliser. The Government has not taken any step to test another sample or stop the move to import the said fertiliser,” he said.