Agriculture Minister discusses fertilizer plans for upcoming cultivation

Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation K.D. Lal Kantha led a special discussion on new fertilizer recommendations and stock management for upcoming cultivation activities.

The discussion was held yesterday (May 08) at the National Agriculture Information & Communication Centre in Gannoruwa.

The meeting focused on obtaining maximum and effective yields with minimum inputs, while ensuring that fertilizer stocks needed for future cultivation activities are properly managed.

Several key matters were discussed during the meeting. These included correctly identifying the national fertilizer requirement and presenting it in a clear manner.

Attention was also given to supplying the fertilizer needed by institutions under the Department of Agriculture, including government seed farms.

Officials presented data on the fertilizer stocks currently available in Sri Lanka. They also discussed the quantities of fertilizer expected to be imported in the future.

Special attention was paid to the steps that should be taken to continue upcoming cultivation activities without interruption.

The meeting also considered proposals submitted by the Provincial Departments of Agriculture and the Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority.

Following the first discussion, a separate meeting was held between ministry officials and representatives of fertilizer companies.

During this meeting, attention was focused on making fertilizer registration and regulatory procedures more systematic.

The process of testing the quality of fertilizer released to the market and issuing recommendations was also discussed.

Officials also reviewed the progress of research related to promoting the use of New Generation Fertilizers among farmers.

Views were exchanged on the importance of using fertilizer mixed with modern technology for the future development of the agricultural sector.

The meeting also discussed how the contribution of the private sector could be obtained for this purpose.

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