Carbonic fertiliser promoted

A.A.L. Dias- Matale district Gr. Cor.

The Agriculture Department has introduced the Carbonic fertiliser to reduce the dependence on chemical fertiliser. This will help cut down the fertiliser subsidy from next season, Matale District Secretary, Helan A Meegasmulla told the district Agricultural Committee meeting at the Matale district secretariat.

Agriculture officials and representatives of the farmer organisations in the district were present.

She said the Agriculture department has decided to put up soil testing centres in every district to facilitate the application of fertiliser.

A profitable harvest cannot be reaped with the use of chemical fertiliser. We should encourage farmers to use carbonic fertiliser which will help ease the burden on the national coffers, she said.

She said the government spends a large sum of money to import subsidiary food crops annually. Green-gram, Cowpea, Black-gram, Soya and other food crops could be cultivated locally.