Glyphosate ban to be lifted

By Ifham Nizam 

Agriculture, Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said yesterday that the Agriculture Ministry was ready to lift the ban on glyphosate herbicide in Sri Lanka.

 A discussion was held yesterday at the Ministry of Agriculture with the Forum of Sri Lanka Agricultural Entrepreneurs on the future path and proposals to overcome the food crisis.The Minister inquired about the removal of the ban on glyphosate herbicide and the use of that herbicide here again.

The agriculture entrepreneurs said that even though glyphosate had been banned, it was smuggled as substandard powder and liquid and sold illegally at higher prices; about Rs. 1.5 billion worth of glyphosate was being illegally imported into Sri Lanka.

 Due to this, the government lost a large amount of revenue annually and the environmental and health damage caused by the use of substandard glyphosate could not be calculated, they emphasised.

 Commenting on the glyphosate herbicide, Dr. Ajanta de Silva said it was an essential herbicide for perennial crops. He also pointed out that the glyphosate ban should be removed as soon as possible.