Total urea requirement for paddy cultivation in the Maha season to be issued through Agrarian Service Centers from tomorrow (16)

Minister of Agriculture, Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation Mahinda Amaraweera said that arrangements had been made to issue the full amount of urea fertilizer required for paddy cultivation in this Maha season through Agrarian Service Centers from tomorrow (16).

The minister made these remarks inspecting the occasion of unloading the fertilizer from the shipment carrying 22,000 MT of urea fertilizer which arrived at the Colombo Port today (15) morning.

The secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture Mr.Gunadasa Samarasinghe and the Chairpersons of Ceylon Fertilizer Company and Commercial Fertilizer Company were also present on this occasion.

The Minister instructed the officials to pay more attention in filling urea in to bags to ensure that those bags are in proper weight.

Thereafter, the Minister expressed his views to media –

All the warehouses owned by the two fertilizer companies have already been filled with fertilizer and several warehouses have to be obtained on rental basis. Also, distribution of urea fertilizer is currently being carried out to all Agrarian Service Centers. Accordingly, the full amount of urea fertilizer required for paddy cultivation has already been provided to Agrarian Service Centers.

The Minister requested the officers of Agrarian Service Centers to deal with farmers in polite manner whilst he further stated that he had received information that certain officers working at Agrarian Service Centers act to discourage farmers and therefore, strict disciplinary action would be taken against such officers and even to interdict them, if necessary.

The Minister added that certain groups alleged to be farmer associations were engaged in a process of throwing cold water on cultivating crops by farmers.

The Minister also stated that farmers would receive both urea and MOP fertilizers during this month and the President Ranil Wickramasinghe had agreed to provide a subsidy of Rs.20, 000 for the farmers who apply organic fertilizers for their cultivation. The Minister requested the farmers to start farming without any fear as they will get the full amount of fertilizer required for this Maha season.