Farmers in the Horowpathana and Galenbindunuwewa farming colonies in Kahatagasdigiliya say that they spend a lot of money to apply chemical fertilizers to maize during the Maha season. The helpless farmers say that they have to pay Rs.6,500 for a 50 kg bundle and that the farmers cannot afford it. They say they need about 25 kilograms of urea per acre.
They said that protests were held in Kahatagasdigaliya on the 16th of last month and Galenbindunuwewa on the 16th of last month and on the 2nd of this month demanding a solution to their problem despite the inability to carry out their cultivation due to the lack of fertilizer during the past period.
Minister Duminda Dissanayake has promised to provide urea fertilizer to maize farmers in the Anuradhapura District. Although it was a relief to the farmers, they said that so far they had not received the fertilizer promised by the Minister.
The farmers allege that it is only a statement made by the Minister and that the officials of the Agrarian Services Department are collecting money from the farmers and they have to pay Rs.6500 / – for a 50 kg bundle and the helpless farmers cannot afford that amount.
Meanwhile, farmers in Galenbindunuwewa point out that although money has been obtained from them in some areas, no receipt has been issued for it. The farmers further point out that the government is taking steps to make the farmers inconvenienced by selling the stock of fertilizer that was brought to Sri Lanka in the past for a higher price (black market).
They are demanding a fair price for the 50 kilograms of urea that was given for Rs.1500 in the past and given to the farmers. State Minister Duminda Dissanayake, who had only given statements to the media regarding the distribution of fertilizer, is now able to intervene and the farmers are requesting that it be done more proactively than the statements.
Mahesh Wijesuriya, Anuradhapura