The hottest topic in the media and political circles these days, apart from the Covid pandemic, is the Government’s decision to stop the import of chemical fertiliser and move over completely to organic fertiliser.
In fact, at a meeting held last Thursday in Colombo, farmers’ collectives in Sri Lanka urged President Gotabaya Rajapaksa not to reverse his decision to transform the country’s agricultural landscape.
They fully backed the President’s decision to adopt organic fertiliser for all cultivations. Moreover, this also ultimately encompasses a transition to full organic farming, sans the use of not only chemical fertiliser, but also chemical herbicides and insecticides.
Organic fertiliser, also known as natural fertiliser, is fertiliser made from organic matter, including animal and plant matter; human waste (e.g., sweat, urine, and breast milk); vegetable scraps (greens, alfalfa hay, alfalfa beetles, alfalfa meal, cabbage, etc.); fruits and vegetables (fresh produce, especially oranges, lemons, limes, melons and potatoes.); other organic matter (meats, bones, dairy products, etc.); and mineral salts and salt substitutes.
Organic fertiliser contain various types of organic materials such as humic acids, fatty acids, magnesium and calcium, iron, zinc, selenium, manganese, zinc, silicon, thiamin, and folate which are needed for plant growth.
Most organic materials used to make fertiliser today are carbon-based and biodegradable, which is environmentally friendly. On the other hand, chemical fertiliser is known to harm the soil and soil organisms and also cause various ailments in people who consume the crops fortified with them. In other words, organic fertiliser is good for the body as well as the planet itself.
Not surprisingly, there is a growing market for organic fertiliser and organic produce worldwide. Increasing demand for eco-friendly fertiliser that has a less environmental impact is driving the growth of the organic fertilizers market.
The global organic fertiliser market is projected to reach around US$ 12.5 billion by the end of 2027, in terms of revenue, growing at Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.2 percent during the forecast period (2021-2027).
The global organic farming and produce market is expected to grow from US$ 95.38 billion in 2020 to US$ 103.36 billion in 2021 at a CAGR of 8.4 percent. The market is expected to reach US$ 151.36 billion in 2025 at a CAGR of 10 percent.
The organic farming market is associated with the sales of produce by farms that produce them in organic ways. Organic farming is an alternative form of farming for crops and livestock’s produce which doesn’t use pesticides, artificial fertiliser, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and antibiotics to increase crop production.
This has many benefits to the environment and the individuals. The environmental gain from organic farming is expected to drive the organic farming market. Organic farming is highly beneficial to the environment as it does not use any chemical fertiliser or pesticides that cause soil and groundwater contamination.
Also, the use of non-renewable resources that are needed for the development of such fertiliser is less. Organic farming preserves biodiversity of the soil.
Hence there is a worldwide movement towards the use of organic fertiliser, herbicides and insecticides. For instance, the government of neighbouring India is promoting organic farming under its two dedicated schemes - Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) and Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER). Consumers in many countries now consume only certified organic agro products.
The use of chemical fertiliser is a relatively new (4-5 decades) phenomenon in Sri Lanka, which has had an agro-based civilisation for around 2,000 years.
Sri Lanka was once known as the Granary of the East, having become famous for its paddy production. Obviously, no chemical fertiliser was used back then. It was the colonialists who introduced chemical fertiliser and other agrochemicals to our farmers on the basis that they improve the yield.
While this may be true to some extent, the cost in terms of health is truly alarming. The growing incidence of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (CNCDs) island-wide, but especially in the North-Central Province, is ample evidence for the harmful effects of agrochemicals of all types. In short, they guarantee you a slow and painful death. There has been fundamentally no opposition per se to the plan to go completely organic, but the critics’ only contention is that the move is too sudden and should be done over a decade or so.
Even though there is seemingly a kernel of truth in this assertion on face value, closer scrutiny bears that their argument is not valid. A start has to be made at some point and it is better to start literally from ground zero rather than wait for 10 long years.
Besides, Sri Lanka already has the capability of producing most, if not all, of its organic fertiliser requirements. Many Municipal and Urban Councils, farmers and innovators have come forward to supply organic fertiliser, which also have a price advantage and could save around US$ 500 million spent annually on chemical fertiliser imports. However, until the domestic market becomes self-sufficient in local organic fertiliser, some imports can be allowed.
There certainly will be teething problems as this project gets off the ground since it is a radical departure from the norm. Hence the President’s assurance that any losses incurred by the farmers during the transition will be covered by the State.
Consumers may also feel a price punch in such a case but the general experience is that in the long run, most consumers would not baulk at paying a few rupees more for healthy organic produce. In the end, both the farmer and the consumer will benefit from the total move to organic fertiliser.