Sri Lanka govt says urea provided by India suitable for crop cultivation

Colombo, Jul 12 (PTI) Sri Lankan government has confirmed that urea imported from India is suitable for pdy cultivation and or crops, according to a media report on Tuesday, amidst indications that crisis-hit country may encounter a food shortage by mid-August.

Sri Lanka on Sunday received 44,000 metric tonnes of urea, first consignment of 65,000 MT urea to be provided under Indian loan assistance programme as part of New Delhi's ongoing efforts to support country's farmers and help bolster bilateral cooperation for food security.

samples of urea were sent to a local laboratory and National Fertiliser Secretariat received report on biuret content of fertiliser on Monday afternoon, Ministry of Agriculture said as quoted by Internet newspaper colombopage.com.

According to news portal newsfirst.lk, Fertiliser Secretariat has confirmed that urea imported from India is suitable for Sri Lanka’s pdy cultivation and or crops.

government report states that biurate percentage of urea is 0.9 per cent. Previously, three international laboratory reports were obtained regarding fertiliser and those reports stated that percentage of biurate is 0.65 per cent, it said.

Generally, biurate percentage of urea used in Sri Lanka is 1 per cent.

Accordingly, arrangements have been me to distribute urea to agricultural service centres across island by Ceylon Commercial Fertiliser Company.

Last month, Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera met Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay and sought India's help for food security and environmental protection in island nation, as it faces worst economic crisis in its post-independence history.

In May, India assured Sri Lanka to immediately supply 65,000 metric tonnes of urea to avoid any disruption to current Yala cultivation season in Sri Lanka.

Yala is season of pdy cultivation in Sri Lanka that lasts between May and August.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's decision last year to ban chemical fertiliser imports in order to turn into a green economy has caused a food shortage with crop losses amounting to 50 per cent.

Rajapaksa later mitted that his decision to ban chemical fertilisers to go 100 per cent organic was wrong.

Agriculturists have warned that country may encounter a food shortage by mid-August in ongoing economic crisis.

India has committed more than USD 3 billion to debt-ridden Sri Lanka in loans, credit lines and credit swaps since January this year. Sri Lanka's annual fertiliser imports cost USD 400 million.

Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people, is under grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, worst in seven deces, crippled by an acute shortage of foreign exchange that has left it struggling to pay for essential imports of fuel, and or essentials.

country, with an acute foreign currency crisis that resulted in foreign debt default, h announced in April that it is suspending nearly USD 7 billion foreign debt repayment due for this year out of about USD 25 billion due through 2026.

Sri Lanka's total foreign debt stands at USD 51 billion.