Dr Pathirana was addressing the Media briefing to inform the Cabinet decision held at the Government Information Department sept;(22).

It is a general procedure to collect samples from the suppliers including fertilizer suppliers when the Government calls for tenders. Simultaneously, samples of the goods are collected randomly even after the stocks are reached the country, he said.

It is the responsibility of the Government to collect fertilizer samples at the first stage and recollect them when the stocks have reached the country. Recommendations on them should be obtained even after such fertilizer is released to the markets to prove their standards, the Minister reiterated.

However, it is known to everybody that one of the fertilizer samples imported from China had contained a variety of harmful bacteria. The Government is now concerned about the samples which brought in properly sealed containers to remain in good conditions while samples brought in improperly sealed containers to have harmful bacteria.

The Agriculture Minister has already demanded an investigation in this regard, Minster Ramesh Pathirana further said.