The Ministry of Agriculture says that the reason for the distribution of underweight fertiliser bags in place of 50 kg fertiliser sacks was a direct result of using flawed weighing machines.
This consignment of fertiliser was received under a World Bank assistance programme.
According to the ministry of agriculture, the consumer affairs authority has used substandard measuring scales to pack the fertiliser bags.
A committee appointed by the Commercial Fertilizer Company has revealed that the fault lies with the weight-measuring equipment.
An emergency raid was conducted by the Consumer Affairs Authority at the Anuradhapura Vilachchiya Pemaduwa Government Fertilizer Warehouse based on a complaint made by the customers that the fertilizer bundles did not have the proper weight.
According to the Consumer Affairs Authority, 14 samples without proper weight were discovered during an inspection of a lorry load of fertiliser brought for distribution among farmers, and fertiliser bags lacked up to 1-3 kg.
The consumer affairs authority has taken possession of the 14 samples taken for further proceedings without confiscating the entire load of fertiliser given the prevailing shortage of fertiliser in the country.
However, the Ministry of Agriculture says that the fault lies with the Customer Affairs Authority.
