evidence: Sri Lanka's economic crisis was further accelerated by global impacts including the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic-induced global recession since 2020, and Russo-Ukrainian war-induced global food and energy shortage and price hike since early 2022, along with an unsuccessful move to prohibit the use of synthetic fertilizer and pesticides—which contributed to a major decline in the yields of Sri Lanka's rice and tea industries (which are a staple food and major international export respectively).[45][46][47] The drop in tea production as a result of the fertilizer ban alone resulted in economic losses of around $425 million. The ban also contributed to a 20% drop in rice production within the first six months. As a result, Sri Lanka went from being self-sufficient in rice production to having to import rice at a cost of US$450 million.[48] [...] - ↑ 58.0 58.1 "Sri Lanka economic crisis: The all-powerful Rajapaksas under fire". 1 April 2022. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/1/sri-lanka-economic-crisis-the-all-powerful-rajapaksas-under-fire. [...] - ↑ "Sri Lanka Economic Crisis News LIVE Updates: Troops, military vehicles deployed in streets; fears rise over army takeover" (in en). The Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/sri-lanka-economic-crisis-live-may-11/liveblog/91480999.cms.