Amidst mounting island-wide protests by farmers demanding fertiliser following the government’s sudden decision to go fully organic and ban chemical fertiliser usage, two Indian Air Force planes have airlifted a consignment of nano nitrogen fertiliser to help Sri Lanka.
“On the request of the Government of Sri Lanka, the two IAF C-17 Globemaster aircraft arrived at Bandaranaike International Airport with 100,000 kg of nano nitrogen. The deployment was essentially to support the Government of Sri Lanka’s initiative towards organic farming and to expedite availability of nano nitrogen fertiliser to the Sri Lankan farmers,” the Indian High Commission in Colombo said in a statement.
Sri Lanka Air Force’s Chief of Staff, AVM Prasanna Payoe, who received the aircraft crews, had thanked the IAF for their prompt response and continued support in essential matters.
The protests came following President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s sudden decision in April to ban import of chemical fertiliser claiming that agrochemical has severe health hazards, including a mysterious kidney disease causing thousan ..
