Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera instructed the Registrar General of Pesticides to take steps to amend the Pesticides Control Act (PCA) immediately.
He said the decision was made as there is a racket of selling fake and substandard pesticides and herbicides in the country.
Under the existing laws, the fines and prison sentences in connection with the sale of substandard pesticides and herbicides as well as illegal importing of pesticides and herbicides that are smuggled into the country do not have enough impact on those traffickers.
“The PCA should be amended and steps should be taken to include new clauses so that the smugglers of substandard herbicides and pesticides illegally imported into Sri Lanka will be subject to at least Rs.1.5 million fine or a prison sentence of three years or both,” he said.
It has been decided to allow the release of pesticides and herbicides in the market in 20g packets as the farmers are unable to afford for increased prices.
Also it was decided to deploy several teams comprising of officers from the Consumer Protection Authority as well as the Pesticides Registrar's Office to conduct sudden raids on such places. (Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama)
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