Minister of Agriculture, Mahinda Amaraweera, has announced that the Sri Lankan government will be moving away from the distribution of fertilizer during the ‘Maha Season’, and instead providing financial allocations for farmers under a subsidy system. This decision comes as part of the government’s efforts to transition the distribution of fertilizer to the private sector.
During a recent press conference, Minister Amaraweera stated that the government will no longer be involved in fertilizer distribution activities, and instead, these activities will be handed over to the private sector. The goal of this move is to provide financial allocations as subsidies to facilitate farmers in purchasing the required fertilizers.
The Sri Lankan government had spent Rs. 6.5 billion on the distribution of urea and MOP fertilizer during the recent cultivation season, while Rs. 2 billion was spent on the distribution of TSP fertilizer during the Yala cultivation season.
Minister Amaraweera highlighted the purpose of this program is to provide financial allocations as subsidies to farmers. This will help to ensure that they have access to the fertilizers they need to grow crops successfully.
This announcement by the Minister of Agriculture comes as a significant development in the country’s agricultural sector. It is expected to promote greater private sector involvement in the distribution of fertilizer, while also improving the livelihoods of farmers.
