Business

Import ban on inorganic fertilizers and its effects on the tea industry

Published

5 years ago

2021/05/23

by Devaka Dias

1. Vegetatively Propagated Teas are CLONAL HYBRIDS which requires high and correct nitrogen ratios to reach its potential yield of over 3,000 kg per hectare made tea per annum.

2. The required norm is 10 kg nitrogen for every 100 kg of made tea. If soil carbon ratios are good at 7% organic matter in the soil, improving the cation exchange (ability of soils to hold nutrients) capacity, it is possible to reduce the N ratio from 10 N to seven N per 100 kg made tea. However, timing and the method of application is very important to derive absolute benefit.

3. Most soil where tea is grown in Sri Lanka is eroded and the organic matter in the soil is so poor that the tea is fertilizer dependent.

4. A field yielding 3,000 kg of made tea per hectare will require 300 kg N. Less if the soil carbon is good. The N per one ton of compost is believed to be low at 1.5% nitrogen. Based on this, one hectare of tea yielding 3,000 kg per hectare will require 20,000 kg of compost each year. Cost of procurement and application will be prohibitive and not cost effective and practical.

5. The quality of compost supplied to the industry requires to be closely monitored, particularly if imported, as there is the risk of introducing nematodes and other pest and diseases that we did not have hitherto.

6. Where compost is produced locally, proper C:N ratios must be ensured to give a standard of 20:1 or below. Quality control is a must or there will be repercussions as with high ratios the bacteria in the compost will draw nitrogen from the soil.

7. Compost fertilizer will be unable to match nitrogen, phosphate & potassium ratios recommended by the TRI. For example if the potassium levels are too high, it will bring about a magnesium deficiency making the leaf yellow.

8. If nitrogen is reduced, production will take a huge dip and leaf supplied to the factory will not be healthy for producing good tea. Succulent leaf is required for good tea manufacture but with less nitrogen the leaf will be yellowish and leathery. This will result in a brownish tea and high percentage of off grades. Poor quality tea will not fetch good prices at the auctions and the overall average will dip with both the factory and the green leaf supplier severely affected. The tea factories will run into problems of not being able to achieve the desired out-turn from green leaf to made tea which should be 21.50%. Even a loss of 0.50% will mean a loss to the factory in monetary terms which they can ill afford. A tea factory manufacturing 500,000 kg of green leaf based on a green leaf rate of Rs.100/= per kilo, incurring a loss of 0.05% on the out-turn will incur a loss of Rs.250,000/=.

9. The reduction of nitrogen over a long period of time will weaken the tea bush and the casualty rate will be very high after pruning.

10. Dependence on artificial fertilizer can be reduced but not completely stopped. Reducing the current rate of application cannot be done overnight and must be implemented in stages at the grower level. I suggest the following steps:

a. Encourage the grower to establish Gliricidia and Albizzia shade and maintain it correctly. A good cover of both type of shade ensures improving the soil carbon over a period of time. Fifty kg of gliricidia leaves adds 01 kg nitrogen into soil. In land with a high gradient, de-silting of drains is a must.

b. In land with a poor cover of tea due to erosion, most of the soil carbon will be lost and the grower must be encouraged to infill. Bright sunlight falling directly on the soil burns up soil organic matter very fast and also leads to the loss of ammonia in the soil when the soil temperature increases. Therefore establishing shade and infilling vacant tea patches is essential.

c. By changing the method of fertilizing, efficiency can be improved. Currently, the method of fertilizer application is to apply the manure on the surface of the soil by what is popularly known as broadcasting. This, I consider, to be the most inefficient method of application leading to loss of ammonia. I have over a decade adopted a different method of placement of fertilizer.

While this is expensive, it successfully reduces the volume of fertilizer that need be applied. The fertilizer is placed in a 6-inch deep alavangoe hole, one and a half feet away from the bush on the upper side of the slope and the hole covered. The cost of placement works out to three and a half workers per acre as opposed to one when broadcasting. It is a crime at today’s cost to waste fertilizer by broadcasting using more volume than necessary to compensate for volatization. More so as there is a big government fertilizer subsidy.

R & D is required to invent an applicator for fertilizer placement.

In conclusion I must say that with good agricultural practices, dependence on artificial fertilizer can be reduced but we cannot go 100% organic. It is important to educate tea growers, 70% of whom are smallholders using very much more than recommended doses of fertilizer, to mend their ways. They believe that applying more fertilizer means overnight crop increases and make five or six applications when four would suffice if correctly timed. What the smallholder does not understand is that we have to only replace N that has been removed from the soil. This is why we go on a replacement ratio of 10 kg N to 100 kg of made tea which could be reduced to 7% if the soil organic matter is good.

If a study is done on the fertilizer use by the smallholder and N replacement ratio worked out, I am sure the figure will be astronomical. This is where lot of money is wasted and must be corrected. With proper use of fertilizer, imports can be reduced and valuable foreign exchange saved by the country.

The authorities must also develop a method of issuing fertilizer to smallholders based on their production. This should not be a problem as the factories have the required information. In my opinion four application of fertilizer is more than enough with application during and after the two monsoons when the assimilation is best.

Reducing rate of N application with artificial fertilizer, in my view, does not require addition of compost if proper agricultural practices are followed. In an estate I work on, the soil is very rich in organic matter on account of a good cover of Albizzia and Gliricidia. No soil is exposed to direct sunlight as a lot of Albizzzia leaf litter and twigs and gliricidia loppings lie on the soil. They slowly disintegrate into colloids that will attract a negative iron to bind the ammonia and other elements such as Pottasium, Calcium etc.

I appeal to the authorities to rethink the ban on inorganic fertilizer imports. Immediate change will cause a lot of hardships to the grower, particularly the smallholder who contributes 70% to the national production and depend on this income for a living. The grower requires to be educated on the importance of soil organic matter to get them to adopt correct agricultural practices and reduce dependence on artificial fertilizer.

Halting inorganic fertilizer and moving totally to organic will cause irreversible damage to the industry in many ways. What is required is to improve the soil organic matter and reduce the dependence on fertilizer. One has to keep in mind that the tea industry is an interconnected web and the ban will not only affect the grower and the factories but also many others indirectly employed in the tea industry.

(The writer is a senior planter from a planting family with 48 years experience in the industry.)

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Business

“RDB Drives Unprecedented Growth with Record Profits Fueling Expansion and Development Impact”

Published

1 day ago

2026/04/12

Thilina Walpola

The Regional Development Bank (RDB) delivered an exceptional financial performance for the year ended 31 December 2025, recording an 86% year-on-year increase in Profit After Tax to LKR 2.37 billion. The Bank’s total income reached LKR 42.81 billion, driven by a 23.89% growth in Net Interest Income to LKR 24.23 billion, complemented by steady contributions from both interest and fee-based income streams. This performance highlights the Bank’s ability to optimise its asset base while sustaining a well-diversified and resilient revenue profile.

Marking its 40th anniversary in 2025, the Bank’s exemplary performance underscores the strength of its resilient operating model, disciplined execution, and its growing role as a catalyst for inclusive economic progress in Sri Lanka. Profitability metrics strengthened notably, with Return on Assets (ROA) improving to 1.70% and Return on Equity (ROE) increasing to 11.77%, demonstrating enhanced efficiency in capital deployment and earnings generation.

Commenting on the Bank’s performance, Chairman Lasantha Fernando stated,

“Our performance in 2025 reflects the strength of a purpose-driven banking model that successfully balances financial sustainability with national development priorities. As Sri Lanka progresses on its path to recovery, our commitment to enabling inclusive growth remains unwavering.”

The Bank continued to expand its development-focused lending portfolio, with loans and receivables growing by 23.59% to LKR 302.54 billion. This growth supported priority sectors including agriculture, SMEs, manufacturing, housing, and rural enterprises representing segments critical to national economic revitalisation. Importantly, this expansion was achieved alongside improved asset quality, with the Stage 3 impaired loans ratio declining to 4.06% from 6.25%, demonstrating robust credit risk management and effective recovery strategies.

Customer confidence remained strong, with deposits increasing by 11.85% to LKR 283.72 billion, driven by growth in both savings and fixed deposits. The Bank also maintained liquidity ratios well above regulatory thresholds, reinforcing its financial stability and resilience

Asanga Tennakoon General Manager/Chief Executive Officer, highlighted” last year’s results underscore the impact of disciplined execution, prudent risk management, and a strong customer-centric approach. Looking ahead, we will continue to expand our reach, strengthen digital capabilities, and deepen financial inclusion to create sustainable value for all stakeholders.”

Business

SLIC Life and SLIC General Create New Employment Opportunities

Published

1 day ago

2026/04/12

Thilina Walpola

New Trainee Insurance Assistants receiving their appointment letters from (L-R) Nalin Subasinghe (CEO of SLICLL), Nusith Kumaratunga (Chairman of SLIC) and Dr. Sameera Dharmasena (CEO of SLICGL

Sri Lanka Insurance Life Ltd (SLICLL) and Sri Lanka Insurance General Ltd (SLICGL) together appointed 112 Trainee Insurance Assistants, marking one of the largest recruitments across both companies in recent years.

Of the total intake, 87 candidates joined SLICGL while 25 candidates were appointed to SLICLL. This recruitment reflects the continued efforts of both companies to strengthen their workforce while contributing to employment opportunities.

The recruitment process was conducted through a structured and independent evaluation framework to ensure transparency and merit-based selection. Applications were invited from eligible candidates island-wide, followed by a written examination. Candidates who met the required benchmarks were shortlisted for interviews conducted by an independent panel, reinforcing fairness and credibility throughout the process.

The newly appointed Trainee Insurance Assistants represent a diverse and capable talent pool. Approximately 30% of the recruits are graduates, while all candidates possess the required academic qualifications, including G.C.E. Ordinary Level and Advanced Level certifications, or equivalent diplomas and higher qualifications.

This intake is aligned with the long-term focus of SLICLL and SLICGL on developing human capital and nurturing future-ready professionals within the insurance industry. The new recruits will have access to structured career growth opportunities, enabling them to build sustainable careers within the organisations. Efforts have also been made to assign employees to locations closest to their places of residence, subject to operational requirements, ensuring both efficiency and employee convenience.

Commenting on the appointments, Nusith Kumaratunga, Chairman of Sri Lanka Insurance stated, “The onboarding of this new group of Trainee Insurance Assistants reflected our continued focus on building strong and capable teams across both SLICLL and SLICGL. By maintaining a transparent and merit-based selection process, we remained committed to creating opportunities for talented individuals while strengthening the foundations for long-term organisational growth. This initiative also aligned with our broader role in supporting employment generation and contributing to the country’s economic progress.”

The official appointment ceremony was held on 7th April 2026 at the SLIC Head Office, in the presence of the Chairman and the Corporate Management of SLICLL and SLICGL, marking an important milestone in the organisations’ ongoing people development journey.

Business

99x Wins Five Awards at Best Management Practices Awards ‘26, Showcasing AI-led Transformation

Published

1 day ago

2026/04/12

Thilina Walpola

Team 99x winning the Overall Gold Award at the CPM Best Management Practices Awards 2026

99x, a leading global product engineering company, has secured five major accolades at the CPM Best Management Practices Awards 2026, including an Overall Gold Award, positioning the company among Sri Lanka’s top-performing organisations in management excellence. The company was also recognised as the Sector Winner for IT, Software & BPO Services, named among the Forty Outstanding Companies, and received the Best Management Practices Excellence Award. In addition, Hasith Yaggahavita, CEO of 99x, was honoured with the Leadership Excellence Award, acknowledging his role in driving the organisation’s AI-led transformation.

The recognition was awarded for 99x’s submission titled ‘Embracing AI: Rethinking Talent, Products & Services,’ which addressed one of the most pressing shifts facing the global technology services industry today. As AI continues to redefine how software is built and delivered, traditional outsourcing models are being challenged from reduced reliance on large engineering teams to a growing shift toward outcome-based delivery and faster go-to-market expectations.

Chatura De Silva, Chief AI Officer at 99x, stated, “Winning five awards at one stage is a proud moment for us as a team. While AI is driving change across the industry, what made this possible is how we chose to adapt to it. We recognised that AI is not just a layer on top of what we do, but that it changes the foundation of how value is created. This transformation was about connecting both our talent and delivery, while embedding AI across everything we do”.

Selected from over 150 award submissions, 99x was also among the top 10 organisations invited to present its journey at the CPM Management Insights Summit 2026, placing its transformation on a national stage among the country’s most forward-thinking enterprises. Chatura De Silva, Kalana Wijesekara, Chief Developer Experience Officer and Chrishan de Mel, Chief Marketing and Corporate Affairs Officer, presented 99x’s story.

Commenting on the significance of this year’s awards, Dilshan Arsakularathna, CEO of The Institute of Chartered Professional Managers of Sri Lanka, stated, “99x securing the Overall Gold Award among organisations across multiple industries reflects the level at which Sri Lanka’s IT sector is progressing today. It demonstrates how companies are building real capability and driving innovation that can confidently stand on a global stage. Notably, 99x has now become the first organisation to secure the Overall Gold Award twice across the five editions of the BMPC Awards. This remarkable achievement reflects their strong commitment to sustaining excellence and continuously embedding best management practices within their operations. What stood out with 99x was how they have adapted to change in a practical and forward-thinking manner, reshaping how they operate and deliver value, while setting a compelling benchmark for modern management practices.”