News
President vows to make country first in world to end use of chemical fertilizers
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, at a discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat Thursday morning (29) said that Sri Lanka would be the first in the world to eliminate the use of chemical fertilizers.
President Rajapaksa said they would not change the decision later and the farmers needed to be educated on the need to move away from toxic fertilisers and the potential of sustainable methods of agriculture.
The President said: “We need to raise public awareness of the ban on import of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides and their use. The people have a right to consume safe food. The National Policy Framework “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour” also promised to accelerate the production of organic fertilizers in the next decade so that only organic fertilizer will be used in the agricultural field of Sri Lanka.”
Sri Lanka had spent USD 221 million in 2019 on chemical fertilizer imports, and with the rise in prices of oil, that cost would have increased to USD 300-400 million this year, the President said, pointing out that despite huge expenditure on chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, there had been no qualitative improvement in agricultural production.
“We see increasingly reduced yields as soil becomes increasingly infertile due to chemical fertilizer and the destruction of biodiversity. The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides pollutes rivers and streams and poses a serious challenge to quality drinking water. The government expenditure on non-communicable diseases including kidney disease and cancer, is rising every year. The loss of livelihoods of the people living in rural areas, deteriorating health conditions and the declining of people’s productivity have become challenges the country is facing today.”
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development to accept 08 used low floorboard buses offered as a grant by the Government of Japan.
News
Payment of the financial subsidy for fertilizer to farmers cultivating paddy lands for the Yala season 2026.
While approval has been granted at the Cabinet meeting held on 18.08.2025 to pay the financial subsidy for fertilizer to farmers cultivating paddy lands for the Maha season 2025/26, the programme is planned to be continued for the Yala season 2026 as well.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to pay a financial subsidy of Rupees 25,000/- per hectare and for a maximum of 02 hectares per farmer for paddy cultivation and to pay Rupees 15,000/- per hectare for field crops cultivated in paddy lands[maximum of 02 hectares per farmer]
News
Ministerial Committee appointed to submit recommendations on proposed program to mitigate loss of crops to wild animals
The rural agricultural livelihood and food security have been severely impacted due to the damage caused by wild animals such as elephants, wild boars, monkeys, toque macaque, squirrels, and peacocks roaming around human habitats and cultivated lands.
Animal-human conflicts and property destruction have mostly been reported around these areas, and serious social and economic issues have also arisen.
Therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation has prepared a comprehensive program based on the opinions of all stakeholders, including the public, university community, farmers’ organizations, environmentalists, non-governmental organizations which work for environmental issues, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Agrarian Development, and other relevant organizations.
Taking into consideration the report submitted by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation, the Cabinet of Ministers has decided to appoint a ministerial committee with the participation of other relevant ministers, chaired by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation, to submit appropriate recommendations on how the aforementioned program should be implemented by further reviewing the proposals included in the said program and incorporating new proposals.
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Payment of the financial subsidy for fertilizer to farmers cultivating paddy lands for the Yala season 2026.
Ministerial Committee appointed to submit recommendations on proposed program to mitigate loss of crops to wild animals
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