No organic solutions to diseases affecting potato and big onion cultivations – Agriculture Minister

There were no organic solutions to diseases afflicting potatoes and Bombay onions, Minister of Agriculture, Mahindananda Aluthgamage said on Thursday, addressing a press conference.

The Agriculture Minister said that they had asked the President permission to import a stock of pesticides and fungicides to be kept with the Ministry of Agriculture.

“We will not sell this in the market. We will only use it if there is a serious outbreak of diseases,” he said.

Minister Aluthgamage said that if farmers incurred losses by following organic agricultural practices, the government would compensate them. A circular would be issued next week regarding the compensation, he said.

“Last year, there was a surplus of 1.2 million metric tonnes of paddy. Thus, even if there is a drop of 15% in production, we will be able to manage,” he said.

State Minister Shashindra Rajapaksa said that some officials did not like organic agriculture and had done a lot to undermine the government’s drive to ensure Sri Lankans consumed healthy food. Action would be taken against such officials soon, he said.

“When farmers go and ask for advice on organic agriculture, some officials say they don’t know and to ask those who took the decision to go organic. They say these publicly. Soon we will take action against them,” Rajapaksa said. (RK)