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Harry
J. seeking release of weed-mixed grass seeds? Approval for the release had been granted by the Agriculture Development Ministry Secretary ignoring objections from the quarantine officials at the Colombo Port and from Director of the Seed Certification and Plant Protection Centre of the Agriculutre Department at Peradeniya, Dr. Kumudu Fernando. Colombo Port authorities had ordered the re-shipment after detecting the weed identified as Bromus mollis in the 500 kilograms shipment of Tetila rye grass seeds and 50 kilograms of Haifa White Clover seeds imported from Australia. However, the company which acquired the once state-owned Lanka Milk Foods (CWE) Ltd., and imported the seeds had written to the Seed Certification and Plant Protection Centre Director requesting the release of the shipment. Agriculture Development Ministry Secretary Tissa Warnasuriya who has the authority to decide on such appeals had decided to release the shipment. The appeal to secure the release had been personally made by Lanka Milk Foods (CWE) Ltd, Managing Director Harry Jayawardena. The appeal had stated that the seeds were being imported for its farms in Pattipola and Ambewela. Mr. Warnasuriya said his decision was on an “experimental basis” and on the guarantee by the company that it would not allow the harmful weeds to flower and allow regular inspection of the pastures. “The imported seeds are high-quality animal feed and if I stop this because of a few contaminated weeds, the development of the dairy industry may suffer. So I decided to allow it on an experimental basis,” he said. There is no record of Bromus mollis being found in Sri Lanka and available literature shows that this particular species is invasive and resistant to drought and temperature variations. Peradeniya Botanical Gardens chief, Dr. D.H.S. Wijesundara said the import of any type of weeds is harmful as it could spread in the country. |
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