Lanka to receive fresh shipment of organic fertilizer meets standards

The government is expecting a fresh shipment of organic fertilizer that meets Sri Lankan standards, from China’s Qingdao Seawin Bio-tech Group after settling the US$ 6.7 million claim by the company.

Responding to a media query at the weekly Cabinet press briefing yesterday, Cabinet Co-Spokesperson and Minister of Plantation, Ramesh Pathirana revealed that although the government agreed to pay US$ 6.7 million to Seawin Biotech, the US$ 5 million bond deposited by the company wouldn’t be released until it delivers the agreed organic fertilizer in conformity to Sri Lankan standards.

The government earlier rejected a shipment of 20,000 tonnes of fertilizer from the company after the National Plant Quarantine Service (NPQS) had found that samples of the fertilizer contained harmful bacteria.

Seawin Bio-tech won a government contract to supply 99,000 tonnes of organic fertilizer. However, following the rejection of the shipment, the government turned to India to secure a nano-fertilizer.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES