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MOSCOW, April 2Sri Lanka has already lifted the ban on chemical fertilizers and would like to buy them, including in Russia, said in an interview with the Minister of Transport of the country Bandula Gunawardana, who during his visit to Russia was authorized to be responsible for other industries.
«Fertilizer prices for Sri Lanka today is more accessible to farmers. We can consider buying fertilizers in Russia, which would be more economically beneficial for our country, our Minister of Agriculture will discuss this with representatives of Russia,» Gunawardana said.
He noted that in the period from 2022 to 2023, the authorities of the country approved the purchase of 150,000 tons of urea, 45,000 tons of potassium chloride and 36,000 tons of phosphate fertilizers.
Sri Lanka has a serious currency crisis, we are short of dollars,» the minister added.
The previous president of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, during his term banned the import and use of mineral fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture, planning to turn the country into the first state with a completely organic farming. As a result, the fall in yields on the island was one of the causes of a serious economic crisis that resulted in mass protests in 2022.
Read the full interview >>>