Expenditure Heads of Ministries of Agriculture and Irrigation were passed in Parliament today.
Day Four of the committee stage debate of the 2022 Budget was worked off between 10am and 5pm today.
Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage says the gazette notification relating to the importation of chemical fertiliser will be issued later today.
Speaking during the committee stage debate in Parliament, Minister Aluthgamage said the gazette granting permission for the importation and the use of chemical fertiliser has been already signed by Minister of Finance Basil Rajapaksa.
Meanwhile, the Minister said the rise in prices of urea and other fertilisers is a global phenomenon.
He said it is not limited to local farmers.
Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage said Sri Lanka, being a country with rich history failed to establish a local agriculture policy until the present government came to power.
He assured that it will be approved by the Cabinet shortly.
The Minister claimed that the Agriculture Industry which is run differently in each provincial council and offices of the Agriculture Ministry will be unified under a single local policy.
He stressed that a majority of feedback forms given to the Ministry after relief distribution and fertiliser distribution were completely false.
Minister Aluthgamage pointed out that a central information generation system was established for the first time in Sri Lanka, compared to other sectors in the economy.
He assured that all steps have been taken to build a central data storage for this purpose.
Parliamentarian Harshana Rajakaruna says the present government deceived the Sri Lankan people during last the Presidential election through false promises.
Speaking during the committee stage debate in Parliament, MP Rajakaruna claimed that granting free fertiliser to the farming community was one of the main talking points of the President during election canvassing.
The MP pointed out that free fertiliser was promised, although not specified if it was chemical or organic, at present no fertiliser is available for farmers.
MP Rajakaruna said major changes were needed in Sri Lanka, mainly due to a financial crisis and not due to the pandemic.
He claimed that the agriculture sector also needs major reforms to prevent the future generations from looking for alternative sources of income.
Parliamentarian Ranjith Madduma Bandara says Sri Lanka has come down further in the World Food Security Index.
Speaking in Parliament, MP Madduma Bandara pointed out that Sri Lanka fell from 11th spot to 17th in terms of food security in the Asia-Pacific region.
He added that the country also dropped from the top spot in South Asia to their place as well. MP Madduma Bandara noted that food security is also an integral part of national security.
He commented that international statistics place Sri Lanka as a country which food security reduced during the past few years.
MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara questioned the need for a Parliament which is responsible for an imminent food shortage as predicted by farmers.
