Country is going to be doomed?

The President of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, at a recent meeting, highlighted the need to shift towards organic fertilizers (OF) and decrease the usage of chemical/inorganic fertilizers. Application of OF has many advantages. Among these are increasing soil porosity, enhancing the capacity to retain water and nutrients. OF promotes growth of soil macro organisms such as eathworms. Micro organisms such as N fixing bacteria are also promoted by OF. In addition, OF supply micronutrients such as iron, manganese, etc., which are essential for crop growth. However, not using inorganic fertilizers in crop production has many disadvantages.

The Soil Science Society of Sri Lanka (SSSSL), the membership of which includes soil scientists representing the university academia, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Export Agriculture, research institutes and the private sector, in a letter sent to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has expressed its concerns over the proposed move to shift towards organic fertilizers. According to the Soil Science Society of Sri Lanka, banning import of inorganic fertilizers will have disastrous effects on the crop sector. SSSSL indicates that Compost-only nutrient-management practices will not be economical. .

Sri Lanka Agricultural Economics Association (SAEA) is the professional body, representing the agricultural economists of Sri Lanka. The SAEA, too, predicts massive economic losses due to potential yield losses, in the absence of proper substitutes for chemical fertilizers and pesticides, with the implementation of the import ban on fertilizers and pesticides. The immediate adverse impacts on food security, farm incomes, foreign exchange earnings and rural poverty can be detrimental.

A number of scientist in the field of agronomy, soil science, and entomology, in articles published in newspapers, during the last two weeks, have highlighted the undesirable effects of banning agrochemicals. Already paddy and vegetable farmers, in many parts of the country, are facing immense problems due to non-availability of inorganic fertilizers and other agrochemicals. According to them, yields are going to be reduced and pest and disease problems will have undesirable effects on crops.

There is a move to import organic fertilizers, with a ban on importing inorganic fertilizers. There is a grave risk in using imported organic fertilizers which is likely to have seeds of weeds, pathogenic bacteria, fungi, nematodes, etc. Such organisms could cause disease outbreaks in crop, livestock and human society, leading to heavy economic losses. Imported organic fertilizers pose a high risk of contaminating our soils and water resources. Once the pollutants enter into our eco-system and destroys it, it is not easy to recover from the damage.

We spend nearly Rs. 300 billion annually to import food. Banning inorganic fertilizers, and other agrochemicals, will reduce local food production, resulting in a need to increase our food imports, causing expenditure on imports to rise. Our annual export earnings from tea is around Rs. 200 billion and non-availability of inorganic fertilizers will also reduce tea production which will cause a decline in export income, resulting in a rise in the Trade Deficit which at present is around Rs 2,000 billion. Reduction in local food production will affect food supply, making the less-privileged people under-nourished. It is essential that the relevant authorities seriously consider all the repercussions of banning the import of inorganic fertilizers, and other agrochemicals, and take appropriate action. If not the country is going to be doomed.

A citizen