'China puts pressure on Colombo to accept its organic fertilizer consignment'
Nov 07, 2021
Colombo [Sri Lanka], November 7 : After the Sri Lankan government rejected an order of organic fertilizer from a Chinese company, Beijing has been putting pressure on Colombo to accept its consignment, according to global think tank Policy Research Group (POREG).
The Sri Lankan government had decided to complete the shift from chemical to organic farming in April, which led to a row between China and Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka allocated 3.8 billion US dollars for organic fertilizer purchase in August by importing certain nutrients. The Agriculture Ministry selected China's Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co. Ltd through open bidding to supply organic fertilizer, the POREG report said.
The government decided to import 99,000 metric tonnes of organic fertilizer at a cost of 63 million US dollars from the Chinese company. However, the consignment was rejected after an analysis reportedly found it to be "tainted". China became furious at the rejection, the think tank added.
Policy Research Group said in two samples, the Sri Lanka Standard Institutions as also National Plant Quarantine Service and Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board found micro-organisms, pathogens, and diseases harmful to the soil, plants, and humans.
In fact, Sri Lankan scientists put their foot down, warning that China's organic fertilizer would be an agricultural disaster as the samples were found to be infected with Erwinia, a notorious plant pathogen that causes severe post-harvest losses in crops, the think tank said.
According to the POREG, China's pressure on Sri Lankan leadership did not work. After the rejection of the consignment this month, China announced the blacklisting of state-owned People's Bank of Sri Lanka, citing a "vicious" Letter of Credit "default". China said that the Sri Lankan bank's decision caused huge losses, but the bank clarified that it was only following court orders prohibiting it from making payments.
It further stated that from all accounts China is not willing to accept that Sri Lanka has disallowed a consignment of organic fertilizer exported by a Chinese company.
Beijing is said to be using pressure tactics to have its way with Colombo. Naturally, all eyes are on the Rajapaksa government to see how well it handles the fertilizer fiasco by friendly China, the think tank added.
