Subsidised fertiliser through 554 centres

by S.M. Wijayaratne, Kurunegala Cor

The Agrarian Services Department has made arrangements to set up 554 centres island-wide to distribute subsidised fertiliser among the farming community. The centres would be set up at Agrarian Services Centres. Consequently, farmers would get the fertiliser requirements on time when and where it is required without any obstacles.

Under the subsidy scheme, at least 750,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser are imported annually and Rs. 50 billion is spent for that purpose.

W.E. Jayathilake, former Divisional Secretary for Bingiriya told a meeting of farmers in the Kurunegala district that the Government has been providing subsidised fertiliser to farmers for nine years consecutively and a massive sum of money is spent on farmers under this fertiliser subsidy, to encourage farmers to produce more food.