Compensation should be paid to farmers for their cultivations destroyed, due to the imprudent decision made by the government to halt the import of chemical fertilizers, the UNP said.
United National Party (UNP) Chairmam Vajira Abeywardena at a meeting held with farmers in Hiniduma yesterday (28) said that subsequent to massive destruction in the field of Agriculture, permission has been granted to the private sector to import chemical fertilizers once again.
He said that they should not have been proud and allowed chemical fertilizers to be imported to the country, when the UNP requested them to do so. If that had happened, agriculture crops would not have been destroyed in this way, he said.
Abeywardena said at the time when the government decided to halt the import of chemical fertilizers, the UNP said that such a decision will cause much damage to farmers overall.Then we requested the government to withdraw that decision. However, due to the pride of the government, they did not do so. As a result, tea, rubber and other cultivations in the country as well as paddy farming was badly affected. Farmers became destitute. We understand their suffering. That is why we are asking the government to pay compensation for the damage that was caused.
After a long time, the government has granted permission to the private sector to import chemical fertilizers. But there is no point in having given the private sector approval. Without the dollar reserves in the country, the government has no strength to import fertilizer to Sri Lanka from companies of the world.
If fertilizer is being imported on a government to a government basis, a relief period of two years is allowed, based on the trust there is regarding the government.
by Daily News Sri Lanka
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