Govt. provided paddy farmers Rs. 50,000 Mn worth fertiliser subsidy for last five seasons

Rs. 50,000 million was spent as a subsidy for the purchase of fertilisers in the five cropping seasons from 2022 to 2024 Yala Seasons, Agriculture and Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera expressed these views during a discussion held with farmers’ representatives in Beliatta last Friday (16). The Minister also mentioned that President Ranil Wickremesinghe, as the Finance Minister, provided the necessary funds for the fertiliser subsidy.

Minister Amaraweera also stated: “In the 2021 Maha Season, there was no chemical fertiliser needed for paddy cultivation. The private sector sold a bundle of urea fertiliser at a price of Rs. 42,000. The farmers even mortgaged their jewellery and brought a bundle of urea fertiliser for Rs. 42,000 and applied it little by little to the fields. But there was no urea fertiliser in the country to buy even for that price.

But immediately after coming to power, President Wickremesinghe decided to provide urea fertiliser to the farmers. Although the Government does not have money to buy urea fertiliser in the 2022 Yala Season, we brought 65,000 metric tonnes of urea fertiliser under the Indian Credit Line and gave it to the farmers. The President discussed with the Indian Government regarding the fertiliser issue.

“When we bought fertilisers under the Indian Credit Line, the JVP Govi Niyojithyo even petitioned the Indian Government asking how the money under the Indian Credit Line could be spent on fertilisers. Because of that fertiliser was taken from Oman. But the Indian Government gave us fertiliser.

“In that season, we gave a subsidy of Rs. 20,000 to buy fertiliser per hectare. We provided the same amount of funds for the 2022 Maha Season and 2023 Yala Season. Also, fertiliser subsidy of Rs. 10,000 per hectare was given in 2023 Maha Season and 2024 Yala Season.

“The Government has spent Rs. 50,000 million for this. That is why we were able to become self-sufficient in rice. Today, we have been able to produce the rice that the country needs without any shortage in this country itself.

“There was a surplus of rice last year. Therefore, by providing two hundred thousand metric tonnes of rice for animal feed, we were able to save the amount of dollars that had to be spent on importing animal feed from abroad in our country. Today there is no shortage of rice in the country because we were able to achieve that victory.

Also, we will provide the farmers with the required amount of MOP fertiliser free of charge in the next two cropping seasons from the 2024 Maha Season onwards. According to a discussion held by the President with the World Food Programme, we will receive 55,000 metric tonnes of MOP fertiliser for free by October.”

The Minister also mentioned that the Government has given approval to provide Rs. 3.5 billion for the distribution of MOP fertiliser as well as VAT.

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