President asks ministers to ensure farmers have enough fuel

President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday instructed relevant ministers to provide adequate quantities of fuel to farmers in the coming farming season, the President’s Media Division said, issuing a statement. Addressing a gathering of ministers and officials, on Thursday, the President also instructed the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation to appoint an officer to coordinate the supply of fuel to the farmers, in each district.

The district secretaries will act as focal points in the district and farmers can contact the district secretary about issues that arise with regards to fuel distribution.Acting under the President’s instructions Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has called for a discussion with representatives of the National Farmers’ Conference about the farming activities in the upcoming season.

The government has also made arrangements to provide urea fertiliser and Muriate of Potash tender (MOP).Sri Lanka will receive 40,000 metric tons of MOP by November, the Agriculture Minister said.Farming has been seriously affected by fuel shortages in Sri Lanka this year. The South Asian nation has been plagued by fuel shortages in 2022 due to foreign exchange shortages.