Speaking during a zoom meeting with the party’s youth members, on party reinforcement projects, alongside its 75th anniversary programmes on Tuesday, the UNP deputy leader said: “Officials of the National Plant Quarantine Services, coming under the Department of Agriculture, have detected harmful residues, including Erwinia bacteria, of which some species are plant pathogens which destroy crops, in sample tested from organic fertiliser brought from China. There are reports that the sample contained harmful micro-organisms made from municipal waste. Environmentalists have warned that organic fertiliser from animal or plant waste could contain harmful pathogens.”

 Ruwan Wijewardene said that businessmen close to the government were involved in importing foreign municipal waste under the label of organic fertiliser. “There are reports that government wants to help their crony businessmen somehow to deliver it here because claims are made that the sample was wrong. Another theory being promoted is that the bacteria had been introduced to the sample on its way here from China. Fingers of government suspicion have also been levelled at the officials of Plant Quarantine Service. We have information that some officials are harassed and intimidated. They are threatened to be summoned before the CID. They should instead be given promotions for their saving of this country from the bacteria, harmful to animals, plants, and people, while destroying many cultivation in the country. The Agriculture Minister should get the CID to probe not the officials but the businessmen’s racket that attempted to bring this and the suspicious process in which they were awarded with the tender to import organic fertiliser. A tender was placed to buy fertilisers with 17 percent nitrogen. The suppliers said they can’t find fertilisers with 17 percent nitrogen. All importers withdrew except one. This one intends to import fertilisers that only have 5-8 percent nitrogen. The CID should investigate the process of the deal.”

Wijewardene said that the government had banned chemical fertiliser so that interested parties could import organic fertiliser from China which could be harmful. He said a China-based company, had now got a 63 million US dollar contract to supply organic fertiliser. “And that company, too, is trying to pump municipal waste containing bacteria which destroy crops. The officers who made the detection now live in fear and we call on the government to stop such coercion immediately because the right thing it should be doing is checking some more samples if they are not sure of the results of the test that has already been carried out,” he said adding that if not for their services the country could have lost its crops and would have had to depend on China for food.