Ship carrying harmful fertiliser won’t be allowed into Sri Lanka – Mahindananda

Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage claims the ship carrying a consignment of fertiliser with harmful bacteria from China will not be allowed into the country.

Addressing a media briefing, the minister noted that the samples from this fertilizer shipment will not be re-tested, nor will any payment be made to the Chinese firm in question.

He stressed that future fertilizer imports into the country will require a third-party independent test.

The minister’s remarks came after China-based Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd., which shipped contaminated fertilizer consignment to Sri Lanka, urged yesterday that Swiss SGS group, a top third-party testing organization, should re-test whether the samples contain the microorganism identified as ‘Erwinia’.

In a media statement, the Director of the firm noted that if Erwinia contamination is confirmed, the supplier is ready to unconditionally transport the goods back to China, however, if there is no Erwinia contamination, the buyer should unconditionally accept the goods and arrange payment.