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Agriculture Ministry Secretary assures paddy farmers urea fertiliser as per required usage
By Ifham Nizam
Necessary steps had been taken to release the urea fertiliser for paddy cultivation in the Maha season, Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture Rohana Pushpakumara said yesterday.
Pushpakumara said a group of farmer organisations are holding press conferences to discourage the farmers by claiming that fertilisers will not be issued.
The Ministry Secretary said this in a statement in reply to alleged baseless statements made by them to the media.
Fertiliser is given in several steps during this Maha season. As recommended by the Department of Agriculture, 70 percent chemical fertilisers and 30 percent organic fertilisers input have been recommended for paddy cultivation this year.
He said generally in paddy cultivation, urea fertiliser is applied within 14 days after sowing, the second shift of urea fertilizer after four weeks and the third shift is applied between 42 and 45 days after sowing, or planting the seedlings.
“Farmers are demanding to provide fertiliser for all the three shifts at once. It is easy to supply it at once, but we currently do not have enough urea fertiliser for that. Therefore, the urea fertiliser required for the first shift has already been given to all the Agrarian Development Centres,” he added.
Apart from the northern and eastern provinces, paddy cultivation for the Maha season has not yet started in the other districts. But the urea fertiliser required for the first shift has already been sent to the farmers.
“At present, we have about 21,000 metric tonnes of urea fertiliser purchased for paddy in Yala season. Also, 12,500 metric tonnes of fertiliser, ordered for the Maha season, will be delivered on the 25th of this month, and another 120,000 metric tonnes of urea fertiliser will be delivered by the 20th of November,” he added.
Therefore, there should be no fear of not getting the second and third shift urea fertiliser, and as well as 40,000 metric tons of MOP fertiliser (Muriate of potash fertiliser) required are to be received by the end of November.
The Secretary said that there is no need to have doubts or fear that the farmers will not get fertiliser.
This year, the amount of urea fertiliser, given per hectare, is 170 kg. It has been arranged to provide 70 kg more than what was provided the last Yala season.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
