The ban of chemical fertiliser and pesticide imports last April has reportedly triggered a scarcity of food in the country following six months of its implementation.
The situation has led to a decline of supply of vegetables and fruits to the wholesale market and the available fruits and vegetable hence are not in good condition due to the shortage of fertiliser, correspondents revealed.
The supply of vegetables and fruits to the Colombo Manning Market, the country’s leading vegetable pool, has also dropped significantly and vegetable prices have doubled.
The is mainly due to the decline of yields amid the fertiliser ban, traders told media. As the Manning Market is the food distribution hub of Sri Lanka, the decision to seize fertiliser imports has affected the supply of vegetables in a chain reaction.
In a move of solving the crisis, the government has relaxed the policy by allowing the private sector to import fertiliser and has decided seize the provision of the state-sponsored subsidy.
This will probably be forcing the farmers to purchase fertiliser at higher prices in the future, but at least three more months will be consumed to harvest the new crop using chemical fertiliser.
In the backdrop, the country may predictably be facing a scarcity of food in the near future.
MIAP
