The Overnight Fertiliser Ban

How Sri Lanka's sudden 2021 ban on chemical fertilisers to go fully organic caused crop failures, rice and tea losses, and deepened the economic crisis.

In April 2021, Sri Lanka banned imports of chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

The aim

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa wanted to make Sri Lanka the world’s first fully organic agriculture nation.
The ban also saved scarce foreign exchange.

What happened

Farmers had no time to adapt; organic fertiliser supplies were inadequate.
Rice output fell significantly.
Tea production dropped, cutting export earnings.
Sri Lanka had to import rice.

Reversal

The ban was partly reversed in November 2021, but damage was done.

Lessons

Sudden policy changes can be disastrous.
Transitions need planning, research and support.
Agricultural productivity matters for food security and exports.

Contrast

Gradual organic transitions, like Sikkim’s over years, faced fewer shocks.

The lost harvest

A rice farmer in Polonnaruwa, unable to buy fertiliser, sees his yield fall sharply. His income drops and rice prices rise across the country.

Thinking going organic overnight is easy

Sri Lanka's sudden ban caused major crop losses.

Key takeaways

Sri Lanka banned chemical fertilisers in April 2021.
Rice and tea output fell sharply.
The ban was partly reversed in November 2021.
Sudden transitions without planning are risky.