Kilinochchi farmers dread first harvest after Sri Lanka’s fertilizer ban
The Hindu
Govt.’s ‘organic only’ policy since May has drawn flak from farmers and experts
For Muthu Sivamohan, a farmer leader in Sri Lanka’s northern Kilinochchi district, the uncertainty looming over his paddy yield, after the , is only comparable to “two other periods of crisis”.
“The first was when Prime Minister Sirimavo [Bandaranaike] introduced import substitution in the 1970s,” said the 63-year-old farmer. He vividly recalled the “severe food shortage” during the period, with long queues outside shops as people waited for hours to buy a loaf of bread. “There was hunger all around. We survived on king coconut and manioc mostly.”
EU and Israel in war of words as ties nosedive ahead of Spain, Ireland recognizing Palestinian state
EU-Israel relations strained over Palestinian state recognition, with threats of sanctions and ICC involvement in conflict.