Government lacks foreign exchange, says Ranil

COLOMBO: Former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the problem facing the government now is not the chemical fertilizer issue but the lack of foreign exchange.

Wickremesinghe said that the result of using only organic fertilizer will be a sharp decrease in the yield.

While noting that the shortfall will have to be imported Wickremesinghe questioned whether the government can assure that such food imports too will be ones produced using organic fertilizer.

Speaking at a discussion with the members of the ‘Parapura’ Youth Organization through video technology, the UNP leader said that it is estimated only 1.5 percent of the world’s agricultural land is cultivated with only organic manure.

“Organic fertilizers are rarely used in Asia. China produces agricultural products from organic fertilizers to export to Europe. Not a single country has applied 100 percent organic fertilizer. Now Sri Lanka is trying to use only organic fertilizer.

Its effect will be a reduction in the country’s agricultural output. Then that shortfall will have to be imported from abroad. Such products are usually made with chemical fertilizers,” he added.