Chemicals needed for organic fertiliser not banned, says Treasury Secretary

By Ifham Nizam

The government had not said that it would stop import of chemical fertiliser for industrial requirements and such imports would be allowed under licensed items, said Finance Ministry Secretary S.R. Attygalle, yesterday.

Fielding questions at the weekly briefing at the President’s Media Centre in Colombo, Attygalle said approval had been granted for importing liquid Nitrogen under import control licences, as it was needed for the production of organic fertiliser.

In response to a query over The Island story headlined “Abolition of range of taxes in Nov. 2019 triggered crisis” published in our August 2 edition, he said he would respond. However, due to time constraints he couldn’t do so.

Agriculture Ministry Secretary, Prof. Udith K. Jayasinghe-Mudalige, speaking on the sidelines of the event, told that The Island President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had taken the right decision on fertilisers.

The former Vice-Chancellor of the Wayamba University, Senior Professor and the Chair of Dept. of Agribusiness Management, Faculty of Agriculture and Plantation Management added: “We are working with all stakeholders would help us achieve the set targets.”

Chief Advisor to President, Lalith Weeratunga quoted`President Rajapaksa as saying that the decision to start using organic fertiliser had been taken for the sake of the people and future generations.

The “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour” policy framework promised a changeover to organic fertiliser, he said.

It was the responsibility of the government to act in accordance with the pledges made to the people. Previous governments tried to popularise the use of organic fertilisers but had not been able to sustain the practice. “This is a challenging task, but it should be done on behalf of the country after identifying the correct strategy,” Weeratunga said.

Earlier this week, Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa issued a gazette notification re-authorising the import of several types of chemical fertilisers including urea for cultivation in the forthcoming Maha season.

Licensees will be permitted to import mineral or nitrogenous mixtures including urea, ammonium nitrate with calcium carbonate or other inorganic substances, super phosphates and mineral or chemical fertilisers containing two or all three elements nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.

The Cabinet approved the proposal made by the Minister of Agriculture on the 31st of May 2021, to import the plant nutrients which include natural chelated minerals and micro matter.

As the above natural chelated minerals and micro matter were already being imported under the HS Code, but currently prohibited by the Gazette Notification No. 2226/48, and in order to grant Cabinet approval to the aforesaid Cabinet paper submitted by the Minister of Agriculture, the Gazette Notification No. 2226/48 was amended.

The above licences also permit the import of packets of compound fertilisers containing the three plant nutrients, namely mineral or chemical nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, or capsules containing a mixture of two of them or packets weighing 10kg or less containing such products.

All these fertilisers are allowed to be imported only by the relevant agencies as per the requirements or under special licenses issued only for limited quantities to suit those requirements.

In addition, nitrogen extracts (organic) and mineral potassium can be imported, which are not classified as chemical fertilisers.

“The government must ensure the right of the people to a non-toxic diet to produce a healthy and productive citizenry”, the Agriculture Ministry Secretary said.