National policy on Agro chemicals soon

Ishara Mudugamuwa

The government will soon finalize the National Policy on Agro Chemicals, Agriculture Ministry Secretary W. Sakalasooriya told the Daily News.

The Secretary said that the rise in kidney failure cases each day has become a major health problem in Sri Lanka. Not only a health problem it has also become a social problem as whole families have become victims of of kidney disease.

Following the directions of the Parliamentary Advisory Committee held on November 22 last year to find a solution for this social

and health problem, the Agriculture Ministry appointed a committee to probe the matter and make recommendations for the reduction of agrochemicals usage.

The final report of the committee has already been released and the committee recommendations have been submitted to the Parliamentary Advisory Committee,” he said.

Sakalasooriya also said that the National Policy on Agro Chemicals would be launched after these recommendations are discussed in Parliament.

The committee has submitted 15 recommendations pertaining to the reduction of chemical fertilizer and pesticides usage. Among them are the creation of new SLS standards considering modern statistics, temporary suspension of the usage and sales of identified pesticides such Proplanyl, Glyphosate, Carbaryal, Chlorphyrifos that are indicated in urine samples of patients, reduction in the usage of imported Phosphate and to promote local Phosphate production and usage, banning of pesticides promotion in both print and electronic media.

The committee was headed by Agriculture Ministry Additional Secretary D. B. T.Wijeratne.The other members are Director-Organic Fertilizer J. D. H. Wijewardane, National Fertilizer Secretariat Director H. S. Dharmawardane, Agrarian Commissioner General Sunil Weerasinghe, Health Ministry Deputy Director Genral-Public Health Service, Sarath Amunugama, Health ministry Deputy Director W.D.B.Herath, Agriculture Department Director Gamini de Silva, Pesticides Registra Anura Wijesekara, Rajarata University, Faculty of Medicine Channa Sugath Jayasumana and Monaragala District Hospital Judicial Medical Officer Kumudu Sanjeewa .