The Minister of Rural Economic Affairs P. Harison, said that he was completely against relaxing the ban on Glyphosate. Relaxing the ban would be an act of digging our own graves, he said.
The Minister made this statement at the Rural Economic Development programme in Colombo, recently.
Coconut harvest has decreased during the last two years as we did not receive enough rain, causing a drought situation, he pointed out. Areas such as Kebithigollewa, Padaviya and Horowpathana are still suffering from the drought, he further said.
“Nearly 7,000 coconut trees had been destroyed in 32 farms that belonged to the National Livestock Development Board. Partitioning of lands in areas such as Gampaha, had also affected coconut harvest,” he pointed out.
“From the Yala season, we are ready to give every farmer Rs. 500 for fertilizer. I personally opposed Glyphosate. I don’t like to see little children stuck with kidney diseases. In the Padaviya area, most of the people were suffering from kidney diseases,” the Minister added. He further said that ,“We were distributing Agro equipment, Mechanical equipment and self employment equipment under this Rural Economic Programme.
If any of the equipment that we had provided has been sold, the Divisional Secretary should punish such person who had sold the property under the Property Act.”
Under this programme, 7.15 million rupees worth equipment were distributed for 743 beneficiaries in Ipalogama.
The Secretary of the Ipalogama Local Council M.S.S. Sageethdraban, Director of the Rural Economic Affairs Ministry Pushpa Ranjani Abewardana and others participated at this programme.