Sri Lanka is importing Nano Urea Liquid, the new fertilizer product developed and launched earlier this year by Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd. (IFFCO).
The first shipment of Nano Urea Liquid arrived in Sri Lanka this week, according to a report by Sri Lanka’s Newsfirst outlet.
According to India’s The Hindu newspaper, Sri Lanka is set to import a total of 3.1 million litres for use in the cultivation of maize and rice. However, it is unclear over what time period the imports will be made.
IFFCO began production of Nano Urea Liquid in June at its facility in Kalol in India’s Gujarat state (GM June 4, p. 32). In August, the fertilizer cooperative was reported to be seeking permission from India’s government to export the new product (GM Aug. 13, p. 36).
The Newsfirst report cited Sri Lanka’s Agriculture Secretary, Udith K. Jayasinghe, as indicating the Nano Urea Liquid emerging as “a promising alternative” that ensures high crop production and soil restoration.”
IFFCO has conducted several thousands of farmer field trials on more than 94 crops across India. Initial results showed an 8 percent increase in yield, according to the cooperative (GM June 4. p. 32).
It is unclear if the decision to import Nano Urea Liquid is a further waffling by Sri Lanka’s government on the presidential decree earlier this year to limit fertilizer imports to only organic fertilizers (GM May 7, p. 42).
Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in April implemented an immediate ban on chemical fertilizer imports, in pursuit of a strategy to see the country become the world’s first 100 percent organic food producer. Critics claimed the decision was driven primarily by the need to address the country’s foreign exchange crisis.
There were reports in August that Sri Lanka’s government had overturned the presidential decree in order to allow for the import of products such as ammonia and other liquid nitrogen because the products are needed to produce organic fertilizer (GM Aug. 6, p. 38).
According to The Hindu report, Sri Lanka’s government “in recent weeks” has allowed the import of certain chemical fertilizers, such as ammonium sulfate, following concerns from the country’s tea producers about the falling quality of tea produced, a key export crop, and from certain other crop producers.
IFFCO claimed that Nano Urea Liquid is a sustainable solution for nutrition of crops, saying it will encourage balanced soil nutrition by cutting off the excessive use of traditional urea and making plants healthier, stronger, and safeguarding them from the effect of lodging. The cooperative said the product could cut conventional urea used by at least 50 percent.