Govt to amend Pesticides Act

Ishara MUDUGAMUWA

The government will amend the Control of Pesticides Act to find solutions to problems relating to pesticides, said Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardane at a press conference at his ministry recently.

It is permitted to import, packaging, labeling, storage, formulation, transport, sale and use of pesticides according to the Control of Pesticides Act No. 33 of 1980. As the Act was introduced 30 years ago, the content of pesticides, languages and size of the lettering, danger symbols and colours, precautions, first aid and antidotes are monitored by using old technologies, said the minister.

"We have to face problems relating to the arsenic content in pesticides. Arsenic is not a big issue as we have clever scientists. If they proved that pesticides carry arsenic elements scientifically, we will take action against those who import pesticides," he said.