In April 2021, Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa campaign manifesto called “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour” banned the importation of all chemical fertilizers into the country. The ban led to a 30% reduction in paddy rice crop yields nationwide. It is reported that yields dropped by half in some regions.
One local farmer, for example, says that the fertilizer ban reduced his rice productivity from 60 bags to 10 bags on his 2-acre plot. The underling idea was to provide Sri Lankans with food without harmful chemicals. Unfortunately, the policy was rushed into effect in one crop season, which decimated the rice crop.
Source: Reuters – March 2022