President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that the decision to start using organic fertilizer was taken towards endowing a healthy future generation to the country.

The President expressed these views at a meeting held with the members of the ‘Presidential Task Force on Creating a Green Sri Lanka with Sustainable Solutions to Climate Change’ at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (11).

The “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour” policy framework stated that the whole agricultural sector of the country should be transformed to use organic fertilizers entirely. It is the responsibility of the government to act in accordance with the pledges made to the people. Previous governments have tried to popularize the use of organic fertilizers but have not been able to sustain the practice. This is a challenging task; a difficult one, but it should be done on behalf of the country after identifying the correct strategy, President’s Media Division stated.

The President said that the government is ready to buy paddy for a higher price than the guaranteed price if there is any reduction in the yield due to the use of organic fertilizer. Therefore, he said the farmers should not have any fear in the initiative. The President said that the government is ready to bear the cost to ensure that the consumers can purchase rice for existing prices.

President Rajapaksa further stated that the government is ready to provide the necessary facilities if the companies that imported chemical fertilizers start producing organic fertilizer.

Taking part in the discussion, President’s Special Representative and the Chair of the Task Force, Mr. Basil Rajapaksa said, “Some battles were lost in the mission to save the country from terrorism. Finally, the country succeeded in defeating terrorism. Similarly, the government is ready to ensure the peoples’ right to a non-toxic meal by overcoming all the challenges.”

The experts in the field pointed out that the transformation of Sri Lanka’s agriculture, which has been accustomed to the use of chemical fertilizers since the early sixties, to the use of organic fertilizers would be a special victory bestowed upon the people similar to saving the country from the war.

Secretary to the President P.B. Jayasundera and the members of Presidential Task Force on Creating a Green Sri Lanka with Sustainable Solutions to Climate Change were present.