President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has instructed the people’s representatives to move forward with the use of organic fertilizers, despite the challenges. The president instructed them while in a meeting with chairmen District Coordinating committees held at the Presidential secretariat yesterday(07).
Addressing the gathering President Rajapaksa emphasized that the program should be implemented for the benefit of future generations, despite criticism from some quarters. Despite attempts to create a fertilizer shortage, sufficient quantities of fertilizer have been imported until the next season. Therefore, the President has pointed out that all cultivation activities can be carried out without any hindrance.
The move to organic farming is not a sudden decision by the government. The government’s position on this was presented in the ‘Vision of Prosperity’ policy statement as well as in the last budget. However, the lack of awareness among farmers about organic fertilizer has led to undue fear.
Organic fertilizer has great potential for agriculture in Sri Lanka. President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa also stated that it is the policy of the government to provide maximum relief to the farmers to manage the difficult situations they face during the transition period. Due to the inclination of the farmer to use chemical fertilizers for decades, a large number of people are different Faced non-communicable diseases.
He said that it should be the responsibility of all citizens to save the future generation from that situation. Minister Douglas Devananda, Secretary to the President PB Jayasundera, and a group of Ministry Secretaries were also present at the occasion.
