Speaking on organic farming at the Polonnaruwa District Development meeting, the President said farmers should be encouraged to adopt organic farming. Under this scheme, any amount of paddy obtained through organic farming will be purchased at the higher price of around Rs 45 per kilogramme by the government. Meanwhile, the President pointed out the value of maintaining the quality of organic fertiliser that is manufactured by organisations. “The government spends Rs 22,000 on the chemical fertiliser subsidy to cultivate one acre of paddy.

A 50 kilogram bag of fertiliser is sold at Rs 350 which is far less than the price of a packet of cigarettes. If farmers can depend on organic farming, we can produce wholesome food products which have significant demand in the global market, “he said.

A National Fertiliser Secretariat official said farmers can use chemical and organic fertiliser at the initial stage of cultivation and gradually use organic fertiliser.