Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said that there is no fertiliser shortage for the Maha season as claimed by the Opposition, adding that sufficient fertiliser would be available at Agrarian Service Centres countrywide from October 31.
The Minister said the fertiliser stocks will be distributed to all 562 Agrarian Service Centres by October 31. “Then farmers won’t be able to continue their protests demanding fertiliser as they will have adequate fertiliser at all Agrarian Service Centres,” the Minister told the Sunday Observer yesterday.
He said at present the Opposition with the help of farmers have staged a series of countrywide protests which he said are fully politically motivated. At these political protests, farmers demand that they be given fertiliser. Minister Aluthgamage said if the farmers continue their demonstrations demanding fertiliser even after it is sent to Agrarian Service Centres, it would definitely be a politically motivated campaign to embarrass the Government. The Minister said at present, fertiliser is being distributed to Agrarian Service Centres. “Today I am in Kurunegala. The farmers of the entire Kurunegala district have commenced paddy cultivation. Similarly, farmers countrywide have begun to cultivate their lands as they have received fertiliser.”
Commenting on the concerns raised by the Opposition on Nano Nitrogen liquid fertiliser, Minister Aluthgamage said when the Opposition made a big hue and cry on the shortage of fertiliser, steps were taken by the Government to import fertiliser. “When the fertiliser is imported, the Opposition talks about its quality. As a Government, we take responsibility for the fertiliser that we are importing.”
After the recommendation is given on the quality of fertiliser, the Opposition says to pay compensation to farmers. “If we agree to compensate farmers, they will query about the money to pay compensation. We have no time to respond to the silly questions raised by the Opposition. If we give fertiliser to farmers on time, they would cultivate,” he said
The use of Nano Nitrogen liquid fertiliser has no adverse effect on the cultivation as claimed by the Opposition. Nano Nitrogen is the latest technology used in the world and it is more effective. “We are importing Nano Nitrogen produced under a quality control process. The Government will take responsibility for the Nano fertiliser,” he said.
The Minister assured that there would not be any food scarcity in the future as claimed by the Opposition., Chief Government Whip Highways Minister Johnston Fernando said that the JVP which was involved in killing farmers and setting Agrarian Service Centres on fire, has started talking about farmers all of sudden. As the farmer community plays a decisive factor in the Government’s vote base at grassroots level, the JVP has started creating animosity between the Government and farmers.
The Minister said, “The JVP and its supporters get farmers to burn effigies of the Agriculture Minister. All effigies and posters are the same. This shows that the effigies and poster campaign is well-organised by the Opposition.”