Minister of Agriculture, Mahinda Amaraweera has appointed an expert committee to conduct a feasibility study on producing phosphate fertilizer through the phosphate deposit in Eppawala. The committee includes 7 members chaired by Secretary to the State Ministry of Agriculture, D. V. Bandulasena, according to the ministry sources.
Officials have pointed out to the minister that, the Eppawala phosphate deposit can produce enough fertilizer to meet the phosphate fertilizer needs of the whole country.Accordingly, a committee of experts was appointed to identify the economic benefits and potential for manufacturing, plan strategies for future actions, estimate the funds required for project implementation and obtain ideas and suggestions from the public regarding its development activities.
The minister said that it is not unfair in any way to spend Rs 9000 million to produce fertilizer in our own country, when we expend about Rs 35,000 million for importing fertilizer from foreign countries. Therefore, the program should be made aiming for local production of phosphate fertilizer by next year, says the minister.
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