Managing Director of AgStar PLC, Pasad Weerasekera, gives an overview of the impact of the shortage and higher prices of fertilizer on farmers.

Key takeaways:

  • A 50kg bag of fertilizer which previously cost LKR 1,500 now costs between LKR 25,000-40,000. This sharp increase in the price of fertilizer and the uncertainty of the timing of the arrival of fertilizer has resulted in the cultivated land reducing.
  • The reduced application of fertilizer to crops has resulted in a reduction in yields, which is already apparent with the lower quantities coming into the auctions.
  • The fertilizer which is en route to Sri Lanka will not be fully utilized for the Yala season which began in April, since most farmers would have begun harvesting their crops by the time of its arrival.

#SriLanka #Fertilizer #Plantation #Economy