Colombo, Jan. 4 (TNS): Sri Lanka on Thursday received the stock of 40,000 metric tons of fertilizer from Pakistan, and the fertilizer shortage prevailed in the country will end from today, the co-cabinet spokesman, Lankan Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara said.
Lankan Minister said that steps have been taken to transport the stock of fertilizer from the Colombo harbor to the relevant areas within the night of Wednesday (03) using 200 special trucks.
Responding to a media query on the fertilizer shortage at the cabinet briefing on Wednesday, Minister Jayasekara said the fertilizer shortage resulted from the Pakistan government’s decision to suspend the fertilizer exports. However, following a discussion between President Maithripala Sirisena nod the Pakistan Prime Minister, the Pakistan government has agreed to send the shipment of fertilizer.
Co-cabinet spokesman Minister Rajitha Senaratne said because the fertilizer subsidy is given to farmers in proportion to the price of fertilizer, the rising prices of fertilizer is not a problem for the farmer and there is no shortage of funds to provide the fertilizer subsidies.