Sri Lanka President lifts import ban on glyphosate

Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe has lifted a ban on glyphosate, a weed killer giving into a long standing request of the island’s tea industry.

In a gazette notice issued under the hand of President Wickremesinghe as Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies, the import ban on glyphosate has been lifted with effect from August 05.

Glyphosate has been shifted to a list of goods requiring permits.

Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena originally banned glyphosate under the 2015-2019 administration where Wickremesinghe was Prime Minister.

Sri Lanka’s tea industry in particular as been lobbying to allow glyphosate use as it is one of the internationally accepted weed killers and alternatives are not permitted under food regulation in some of the export destinations.

Sri Lanka lifted the ban in November 2021 and it was re-imposed and then agriculture Minister Mahindanda Aluthgamage said he ordered the official responsible for the liberalization to be removed from the post.