Government took U-turn in Sri Lanka, asked for money from India, will now do this work
India agrees to help
According to the statement of the Sri Lankan official, the cabinet has prepared an agreement with India for the purchase of urea for cultivation in the country, which is to be signed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. At the same time, the Government of Sri Lanka has said that Exim has also agreed to give 55 million US dollars to Sri Lanka from the bank. Sri Lanka is getting this loan for the purchase of urea for the 2022-23 season.
Government imposed a ban on fertilizers
Significantly, a nationwide ban on all chemical fertilizers was imposed by the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government last year. There was a massive crisis in Sri Lanka after shifting completely to organic farming. It is estimated that the country has suffered 50 per cent crop loss due to the decision of organic farming. However, after the government of Prime Minister Ranil Vikram Singhe came, the government has canceled all the previous agricultural policies.
Sri Lankan Agriculture Minister had sought help
Apart from lending to Sri Lanka, India will also supply 65,000 metric tonnes of urea to its neighboring country. To help the farmers facing severe food crisis in the country. India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay said that PM Narendra Modi has approved the consignment of urea. Earlier, Sri Lanka’s Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera had sought India’s help to overcome the growing food crisis in the country. It then decided to send the shipment to Sri Lanka despite the restrictions on India’s exports.
India provided $3.5 billion in aid
In his address to the country on Tuesday, Sri Lankan PM Wickremesinghe said that India, China and Japan have been leading countries in providing assistance to us. Our relations with these countries were always strong which are now broken. We have to make it stronger again. Let us tell you that India has helped Sri Lanka more than $ 3.5 billion this year. Apart from this, India has also supplied essential things like food, medicine to Sri Lanka.
