Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group, a Chinese fertilizer company, said that the controversial consignment of organic fertilizer had arrived in Sri Lanka yesterday (22). The director of the company, Song Hai Mei, has sent a letter addressing to Director General of Agriculture and sending copies to several officials, stating that the fertilizer, which left China on September 23, will arrive at the Port of Colombo on October 22.
Samples of this organic fertilizer, which is said to be made from seaweed amino acids and humic acids, taken at the loading warehouse have tested by a company called Shutter Group, which is also designated by the Sri Lanka Standards Institution.
This letter also states that the Chinese Customs and the Sri Lanka Standards Institution have also confirmed the suitability of this fertilizer.
In a letter to the Director General of Agriculture, Qingndao Seawin Director,Company says that the detection of harmful micobes such as Erwinia was due to poor testing standards of National Plant Quarantine Unit of Sri Lanka. Emphasis has been placed on the fact that they do not contain this microbial species.
Qingdao further stated that the Chinese Plant Quarantine Unit also clrafied in thois regard wit Sri Lanka National Plant Quarantine Unit by e mails on October 14 and 21.
After the fertilizer was loaded onto the ship, another sample was tested at a third party laboratory not affiliated with the company and it was confirmed that the fertilizer was not in an unfavorable condition.
Ms. Song Hai Mei, Director, Qingdao Biotech Group, is currently in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is in dire need of fertilizer as cultivation is about to begin and the company has confirmed that the stock of fertilizers supplied by its company is non-Arvinia species and that it would be more advantageous to use this fertilizer in the face of the huge increase in fertilizer prices in the world.
It is reported that she has sent copies of this letter addressed to the Director General of Agriculture, Dr. Ajantha Silva, to the Secretary to the President, Dr. PB Jayasundara, the Minister of Agriculture, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, the Minister of State, Shashindra Rajapaksa, the Ambassador of China to Colombo and the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to China.
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