As thousands of Sri Lankans stood in line for fuel cylinders, which have nearly doubled in price since April,  Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe warned of a coming food shortage. 

He tweeting on Thursday: “While there may not be time to obtain fertiliser for this Yala (May-August) season, steps are being taken to ensure adequate stocks for the Maha (September-March) season.” 

Wickremesinghe said “I sincerely urge everyone to accept the gravity of the ... situation.”

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa banned all chemical fertilizers in Sri Lanka in April 2021 with the aim of reducing harmful chemicals in food. 

This resulted in reduced crop yields as Sri Lankans endure a devastating economic crisis. Students protested outside the president’s house on Thursday in Colombo.

“There is no point in talking about how hard life is,” said A.P.D. Sumanavathi, a fruit seller. “I can’t predict how things will be in two months, at this rate we might not even be here.”

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