President Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasised that guaranteeing the meals safety of the nation and its individuals stays a foremost precedence of the Authorities. Accordingly, the President instructed the Ministry of Agriculture and personal sector corporations to collectively formulate a programme to take care of satisfactory fertiliser shares out there, in order to make sure an uninterrupted provide to farmers in the course of the present Yala season.
These directions had been issued throughout a dialogue held this morning (24) on the Presidential Secretariat with officers of the Ministry of Agriculture and Chief Government Officers of fertiliser importing corporations.
In gentle of disruptions to produce chains brought on by the continuing battle within the Center East, intensive discussions had been held on sustaining satisfactory fertiliser provides out there for paddy cultivation and different crops in the course of the Yala season, in addition to on the speedy measures required to deal with the state of affairs.
It’s deliberate to domesticate roughly 550,000 hectares of paddy in the course of the 2026 Yala season. An estimated 125,000 metric tonnes of urea will likely be required, comprising 83,000 metric tonnes for paddy cultivation and 42,000 metric tonnes for different crops.
As at 1 March, the graduation of the Yala season, corporations held 95,000 metric tonnes of urea, whereas distributors had an additional 7,000 metric tonnes, bringing the entire accessible inventory to 102,000 metric tonnes. Nonetheless, it was famous that roughly 27,000 metric tonnes had been launched over the previous two to a few weeks. Accordingly, by 17 March, the remaining inventory held by corporations had lowered to roughly 68,000 metric tonnes.
Compared with March of the earlier 12 months, when solely round 11,000 metric tonnes had been anticipated to be issued, it was revealed that 27,000 metric tonnes had been bought this March because of stockpiling pushed by issues over a possible scarcity.
It was additional revealed that orders had been positioned for a further 77,000 metric tonnes of urea. Of this, 37,000 metric tonnes had been anticipated from Center Jap international locations, creating some uncertainty. Nonetheless, it has been confirmed that out of the remaining 40,000 metric tonnes, 21,000 metric tonnes are scheduled to reach within the nation by the tip of March or early April.
Discussions additionally targeted extensively on plans to import the remaining required portions of fertiliser and to take care of satisfactory shares out there over the following three months via correct administration. The President additionally inquired into the potential contribution of fertiliser corporations on this regard.
The President additional highlighted that the continual provide of fertiliser is a key consider sustaining the nation’s meals safety, and underscored the significance of prioritising short-term crops comparable to paddy and greens.
Representatives of fertiliser corporations additionally apprised the President of the challenges confronted because of delays in receiving funds owed to them within the latest previous. The President instructed officers to take the mandatory steps to expedite these funds.
Accordingly, fertiliser corporations expressed their settlement to work in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture to take care of enough fertiliser shares out there for the following three months.
The President additionally harassed the significance of growing plans to successfully reply to comparable disaster conditions sooner or later, noting the necessity for a level of dedication from all stakeholders, together with the Authorities, fertiliser corporations and the farming group. He additional expressed his appreciation for the cooperation prolonged by the representatives of the related corporations.
Issues regarding enhancing storage amenities in and round Colombo to take care of buffer shares, in addition to offering credit score amenities for fertiliser imports, proposals beforehand submitted to the Meals Safety Committee, had been additionally taken up for dialogue.
Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, Okay.D. Lalkantha; Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, D.P. Wickramasinghe; Secretary to the Ministry of Plantation Industries, Gunadasa Samarasinghe; Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tea Board, R.Okay. Obeyesekere; Chairman of the Smallholder Tea Growth Authority, Nimal Udugampola; together with officers of the Ministry of Agriculture and Chief Government Officers and representatives of fertiliser importing corporations, had been current on the dialogue.
PMD
