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Agrarian union refutes Aluthgamage’s harvest claim

06 Feb 2022

By Buddhika Samaraweera Claiming that Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage has stated that the paddy harvest of the last Maha cultivating season was at a very good level, the National Agrarian Union (NAU) stated that after the upcoming Sinhala and Hindu New Year season, everyone will know about last season’s paddy harvest. Speaking to the media yesterday (6), NAU Chairman Anuradha Tennakoon said that Aluthgamage was currently staging a drama, claiming that there was no shortage of paddy harvests caused to farmers who used organic fertilisers under the Government’s programme towards a green agriculture. “The Agriculture Minister is now seen going around and claiming that farmers’ yields have not been reduced due to the use of organic fertilisers. Who is he trying to mislead by performing this drama? We say after the Sinhala and Hindu New Year, everyone will be able to see if we have rice or not,” he said. A proposal to ban the use and importation of chemical fertilisers and agrochemicals was submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in April 2021 and the same was granted approval. However, the Government decided to revoke the said ban on the importation of chemical fertilisers and agrochemicals, and thereby allow the private sector to import such, with effect from 24 November 2021. However, throughout the past few months, farmers in several areas are seen charging that there is a serious shortage of fertiliser for their cultivations and a number of protests have also been organised by farmers’ organisations and various parties demanding the Government to provide a solution to the fertiliser shortage. Meanwhile, farmers’ organisations last week stated that the Government should take steps to provide a minimum price of Rs. 120 per kilogramme of paddy as the paddy harvest has been reduced by 50% during last Maha season. They also warned that they would withdraw from cultivation in the coming Yala season due to the shortage of fertilisers and agrochemicals which arose due to the Government’s programme.  


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