The Ministry of Agriculture is ready to provide organic fertilizer subsidy for Tea and Vegetable crops

Paddy farmers said that they were given soil in tanks and paddy husks as organic fertilizers during the past period and they expressed their reluctance to get substandard organic and compost fertilizers.

Farmer organization representatives from all 25 districts emphasized their unwillingness to use organic fertilizers in a discussion held at the Ministry of Agriculture.

In accordance with the recommendation given by the Presidential Committee appointed to investigate on the use of organic fertilizers, it has been pointed out that due to supply of substandard organic and compost fertilizers by certain companies, paddy farmers have lost their confidence in such products.

Also, the Department of Agriculture has not provided recommendations for certain organic and compost fertilizers provided to farmers.

Under the circumstances, farmer representatives expressed their opposition to the use of organic and compost fertilizers.

Taking into account this situation, the Minister of Agriculture said that action will be taken to provide the concession given by the Government to paddy farmers for organic fertilizers for the promotion of tea and vegetable cultivations.

The government has allocated Rs.16,000 million for organic fertilizers during the 2022/23 Maha season. Under that, it was planned to give an amount of Rs.20,000 per hectare of paddy. Accordingly, Rs.10,000 million have been spent to provide organic fertilizers during this Maha season.

The Minister stated that if organic and compost fertilizers are not required by the farmers, such money will be used for the development of any other agricultural sectors.

During the Maha season, the responsibility of regulating organic and compost fertilizers was given to the District Committees which consist of the District Secretary and three farmer representatives. However, the farmer representatives said that they did not receive quality organic and compost fertilizers.

Therefore, the Minister instructed the officials to provide such concession to tea and vegetable cultivations from 2023 Maha season.