Sri Lanka is going through a serious crisis caused by a number of economic factors. One recurring theme, besides the Covid tourism crash, is the collapse of local agriculture following a ban on industrial fertilizers (or at least on importing them) in favor of all-organic fertilizers.

[Googling the terms *fertilizer sri lanka why*](https://www.google.com/search?q=fertilizer+sri+lanka+why) quickly shows all sorts of issues with the implementation of this policy. From deficient Chinese imports to farmer productivity crashes.

But why was that ban implemented in the first place?

* what did the government's declarations of intent during its election campaigning cite as reasons?
* what have opposition politicians/media cited as possible motivations?

(Sri Lanka ranks 146/180 on [Reporters wo Borders Press Freedom index in 2022](https://rsf.org/en/index), so be mindful of that when citing local newspapers like [this article](https://www.dailynews.lk/2021/07/02/local/252972/do-not-reverse-chemical-fertilizer-ban-farmers).)

p.s. Spelling out the obvious: this is not asking multiple questions in asking what the govt said or what the opposition said. Citing *those possible sources* is to pre-empt the other close vote reason: *Questions asking for the internal motivations of people, ...*. So what did either source have to say?