India to supply 65,000 MT of urea to Sri Lanka
Colombo (Sri Lanka), May 14: Amid the devastating economic crisis in Sri Lanka, India in another initiative to extend support will be supplying 65,000 metric tons of urea to the island nation.
Reportedly, the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India, Milinda Moragoda, met the Secretary in the Department of Fertilizers of India Rajesh Kumar Chaturvedi on Thursday and discussed the issue, reported Daily Mirror.
"High Commissioner Milinda Moragoda met with the Secretary to the Department of Fertilizers of India Rajesh Kumar Chaturvedi and thanked him for India's decision to supply 65,000 MT of urea required for the current Yala cultivation season in Sri Lanka," the High Commission of Sri Lanka said.
In the meeting, both Moragoda and Kumar Chaturvedi discussed possible solutions and measures to ensure that chemical fertilisers from India to Sri Lanka are supplied continuously under the existing Credit Line and beyond, according to Daily Mirror.
Moreover, despite an export ban on urea fertiliser from India, the Indian government has agreed to deliver 65,000 metric tonnes of urea to the crisis-torn island country under an existing USD 1 billion Indian line of credit, at the request of the Sri Lankan government.
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The Sri Lankan government had previously banned the import of chemical fertilisers as part of its strategy to transition to organic agriculture the previous year. The unexpected economic crisis, along with a scarcity of organic fertilisers, had a significant influence on agricultural output, according to the Daily Mirror.
As per the Daily Mirror, this was the reason for the Sri Lankan government lifting the ban on several key crops.
Since the beginning of the year, India has offered to deliver nearly USD 3 billion in loans, credit swaps, and credit lines to the debt-ridden island nation. India has also shown a willingness in collaborating with the new Sri Lankan government.
Meanwhile, Ranil Wickremesinghe was named the new the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka for a record sixth. He has assured the people of Sri Lanka that he will ensure the island country's supply of petrol, diesel, and electricity.
Sri Lanka is currently facing its worst economic crisis since independence, with food and fuel shortages, increasing prices, and widespread power outages affecting many people.
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-PTC News
