TRI, RRI to draft new import rules for glyphosate

Sri Lanka’s research institutes for tea and rubber are currently working on a new protocol to be adopted for imports of glyphosate specifically for these two sectors.

With the ban on glyphosate lifted, the Tea Research Institute ( TRI) and the Rubber Research Institute ( RRI) have been asked to come up with a methodology on how to author- ize and coordinate the imports of weedicide to the country specifically for these two industries, Sri Lanka Tea Board Chairman Lucille Wijewardena said.

He noted that since glyphosate has been allowed to be used only on the tea and rubber plantations there needs to a controlled manner in which these imports could be carried out.

In this respect, glyphosate would not be freely available in the market but managed to ensure it could be accessed only by the tea and rubber sectors alone.

The tea industry has been fighting tooth and nail over the past three years to lift the ban since it adversely affected tea production on the plantations especially t he Re g i o n a l Plantation Companies (RPCs).

Due to the large extents of land and the declining labour force that works on the plantations the estates have been overrun with weeds resulting in an unhealthy environment for workers to pluck tea and causing difficulties in removing them manually.

Meanwhile, the global promotion campaign for tea at a cost of Rs. 3.5 billion is expected to kick off in October in 12 countries, Mr. Wijewardena said.

He pointed out that in addition to this the SLTB is carrying out a brand promotion for exporters that had obtained board approval.

As part of the brand promotion, exporters would be asked to come up with their brands and the countries in which they carry out the promotions and be reimbursed 50 per cent of the cost. Currently the promotion funds stands at Rs.6 billion.