Farmer representatives said that the urea fertilizer given by the Government to paddy cultivation in the Yala season last year was the best given after 15 years.
A group of farmer representatives expressed these views in a discussion at the Agriculture Ministry regarding the government’s provision of fertilizers for the Maha season.
This discussion was chaired by the Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera. The farmer representatives asked the Minister about the provision of chemical fertilizer in the Maha season.
The Minister said that arrangements have been made to provide urea for paddy and maize this year and that the stocks of fertilizer for the first round have already been given to all Agrarian Service Centres. He also said that of the 65,000 metric tonnes of urea given to the country by the Indian government under a credit line, another 34,000 metric tonnes of urea is left and they have been released for the first round of paddy cultivation in the Maha season.
The minister also asked what the opinions of the farmers were regarding the urea given in the last Yala season.
Farmer representatives said that the urea given in the Yala season was the best given by a government after 15 years. They said that the paddy harvest increased due to the application of that fertilizer, and regardless of what anyone says, the paddy harvest this season has increased beyond the expected level.
The Minister also said that arrangements have been made to provide high quality fertilizer in this Maha season as well.
