The Ministry of Agriculture has decided to immediately amend the current Pest Control Act.
Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera says that there is a racket of selling fake and substandard pesticides and herbicides in the country.
Accordingly, under the existing laws, the fines and penalties imposed against people who sell substandard pesticides and herbicides as well as illegal imports are not enough to have an impact on those traffickers.
Therefore, the Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera has instructed the Registrar General of Pesticides to immediately amend the Pesticides Control Act.
The Minister of Agriculture has advised that the Pesticides Control Act should be amended so that people who illegally import substandard herbicides and pesticides into Sri Lanka will receive a fine of at least Rs. 1.5 million and three years imprisonment or both.
The Ministry of Agriculture has also stated that since the farmers cannot bear the increase in the prices of pesticides and herbicides when using them for cultivation, it has been decided to allow them to be released in the market in 20-gram packets.