President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has advised officials to locally manufacture machinery needed to produce organic fertiliser with the assistance of the Sri Lanka Army Engineer’s Corps.
Speaking at a discussion held on Wednesday (June 2), President Rajapaksa directed the officials to study the machinery needed and manufacture the machines that could be built locally with the assistance of the Sri Lanka Army Engineers’ Corps at state-owned factories and import the rest.
According to the President’s Media Division, special attention was paid to the production of fertiliser at local government level. The President outlined the need to impart technical knowledge for these institutions. The raw material needed for the production of the fertiliser can be conveniently obtained from the rural environment itself.
The President said that this would preserve the cleanliness and splendor of the village and at the same time a new rural economic network could be built with the assistance of Samurdhi beneficiaries.
Challenges may arise when implementing this program, but in accordance with the National Policy Framework “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour,” the right of the people to a non-toxic diet must be guaranteed to raise a healthy and efficient citizenry, the President said.
The President said numerous elements across the globe claimed that it was impossible to defeat terrorism. A similar notion is shared by many with regard to the organic fertiliser program as well. Therefore, overcoming this challenge is the need of the era. The President also said that to make this program a success, it is imperative that the farmers be provided with organic fertiliser without any shortage.
Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage said that the full quantity of organic fertiliser needed is expected to be produced locally and in case of a shortage, the shortfall will be imported by the Government.
Minister Aluthgamage said that steps will be taken to launch a program to inspect the soil and recommend releasing only the quantity of organic fertiliser to the farmers and provide soil testing equipment to all Agrarian Service Centres.
State Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa said that steps are being taken to provide technical knowledge to farmers to produce organic fertiliser. It was also decided to provide a series of printed instructions to the farmers to make them aware of the use of organic fertiliser.
The President presented the soil testing equipment to the Commissioner-General of Agrarian Services and the Director-General of Agriculture.
State Minister Mohan de Silva, Secretary to the President Dr. P.B. Jayasundera, Finance Ministry Secretary S.R. Attygalle, Secretaries and officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, and State Ministries were also present.