The Hon. Kins Nelson

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, my second supplementary question is this.

¶ 02 Hon. Deputy Minister, work for the Yala season has commenced. Water for paddy fields was released on 20 April. The Government said a fertilizer subsidy of Rs. 25,000 per hectare would be provided, and for this Yala a further Rs. 5,000, totaling Rs. 30,000 per hectare. But farmers have not received this subsidy yet. The Government also said five bags of urea per hectare would be given, but now it is said there is no mechanism to provide that. On 10 April, through farmer organizations, Rs. 25,875 was collected from each farmer to provide two and a half bags of urea, but those two and a half bags have still not been delivered. Water has been released. Farmers are proceeding by somehow sourcing fertilizer externally. Without timely provision of fertilizer, this Yala season will be destroyed. You also say rice will not be imported, but in this manner I fear we will be pushed towards importing rice. Hon. Deputy Minister, please intervene. There is nothing to take to Cabinet—if the money has been collected, will you deliver the said fertilizer to the farmers?