President gives nod to agrochemical imports through private sector, but not under govt. subsidy scheme

by Ifham Nizam

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday had given approval for the importation of agrochemicals through the private sector on demand for crops such as vegetables, maize and cereals, the President’s Media Centre said.

At a special discussion at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo, President Rajapaksa said that green agriculture remained the policy of the government and it would never deviate therefrom.

The President also said that agrochemicals could be imported by the private sector on demand and they would never be provided under the government subsidy scheme.

The meeting was attended by a large number of people including the Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage and the State Minister of Agriculture Shashindra Rajapaksa to find a solution to the fertiliser shortage.