Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2020-07-01

Providing an opportunity to buy chemical fertilizer used for paddy, for other agricultural activities

- Under the fertilizer subsidized programme implemented at present, fertilizer is issued for paddy cultivations up to 05 acres while the fertilizer required for the lands exceeding the said extent should be purchased from the open market. Under these circumstances, a shortage of fertilizer used for other crops has been created in the open market since the demand for fertilizer has been increased due to the escalation of the extent of land under cultivation especially as a result of COVID 19 pandemic situation. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers noted the information furnished by the Minister of Mahaweli, Agriculture, Irrigation and Rural Development on the action taken for purchasing stocks of remaining fertilizer with the state fertilizer companies imported under the fertilizer subsidized programme for paddy cultivation, by the Agrarian Development Centres and selling a bag of fertilizer of 50kg to a sum of Rs.1000/- to the farmers so that the farmers can purchase the fertilizer stocks required without creating any issues to the government.