Organic fertiliser to be popularised

by: L. S. Ananda WEDAARACHCHI

An Islandwide programme to popularise food production utilising organic fertiliser is being implemented under the "Api Wawamu-Rata Nagamu" agriculture development project launched by the Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services Ministry.

The Makandura Organic Fertiliser Promotion Project Director Dr. J. D. Hemantha Wijewardena said that the Government expects to manufacture 25 percent of the country's fertiliser requirement under this project. Last year the Government spent Rs. 67,000 million to import chemical fertiliser to meet the local demand.

Research has proved that the local compost fertiliser helps conserve the soil and produces a better harvest than chemical fertiliser, he said. Dr. Wijewardena who recently returned from Sweden after following an exclusive organic food producing programme said organic food is more safe and nutritious.

There is a big demand for organic food particularly in Europe as well as in other developing countries.

"Last year a batch of 13,000 farmers were instructed on organic fertiliser manufacturing techniques and application to farming at the Makandura Agriculture Research Centre.

Training programmes are being continued and more than 200 farmers are trained daily at the centre, he said.

Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services Ministry Media Secretary Dilshan Keerthisara Manapperuma said that Rs. 500 million was allocated in the 2009 budget for the promotion of carbonic fertiliser among the farmers. The budgetary allocation will be further increased to Rs. 750 million as requested by the Agriculture Development Minister, he said.

Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council Director - Agriculture M. B. Dissanayaka said the organic farming concept is well received by farmers in Kegalle and Ratnapura districts. A sales centre was setup at Randeniya in Kegalle to sell the organic food items such as bees honey etc, he said.

Under the organic farming programme in the Sabaragamuwa Province four organic food production villages namely Puwakdeniya, Kolongalla, Diyagama, and Kalugalla have been established.

In addition two special projects to cultivate paddy with compost fertiliser have been started in Kachchigala in Embilipitiya and Pallekanugala in Ruwanwella. Expensive seed paddy varieties such as Heenati and Alvee were cultivated and it was highly successful, he said.

Tha Ma Oya basin development project in Kegalle exclusively for organic cultivation will be implemented soon, he said.

Organic Farm Foundation President K. C. Senaratna said that an organisation named 'Organic Farm Foundation' is being registered in the Agriculture Department to popularise the organic agriculture in Sri Lanka.

He said that the organicfarming, organic fertiliser manufacture and livestock development can be profitably launched in Sri Lanka as it is combined with fertile land and good weather conditions.