Sri Lanka has imported 5.4 million metric tonnes and 2 million litres of chemical fertiliser from 2010 to 2016, according to an answer tabled by the Agriculture Ministry in Parliament last week.
The answer was tabled in response to a question by JVP MP Bimal Rathnayake.
As of the answer, there is a reduction of 381,232 MT in importation of chemical fertiliser to the country in 2016 compared to the quantity imported in 2015. The liquid volume of chemical fertiliser importation has increased by 54,801 litres last year compared to 2015.
The solid chemical fertiliser importation to the country stood at 1,038,641 MT in 2010, 866,507 MT in 2011, 748,902 MT in 2012, 605,068 MT in 2013, 767,510 MT in 2014, 893,872 MT in 2015, and 512,640 MT in 2016.
The liquid chemical fertiliser importation stood at 187,425 litres in 2010, 213,074 in 2011, 245,741 in 2012, 348,838 in 2013, 287,352 in 2014, 357,936 in 2015, and 412,737 litres in 2016.
The Government has distributed a total of 1.8 million MT of chemical fertiliser as subsidies for paddy cultivation from 2010 to 2015. Instead of issuing subsidised fertiliser, cash grants are issued from the Yala season 2016.
According to the answer, the production of organic fertiliser has dropped by 61,017 MT last year compared to that of in 2015. This quantity was 70,787 MT in 2016 and 131,804 MT in 2015.
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