We do not need the Government, officials etc. We can show the country our capability of destroying Armyworm caterpillar by using biological chemicals based on Neem (kohomba) and without using any artificial poisons. Give us 1,000 affected acres of cultivation and we will show it, MP Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera said. Addressing a press conference at the Sadaham Sevana at Rajagiriya yesterday, the Thera said that at this crucial moment, the only objective of officials is re-gaining the banned license of certain highly poisonous insecticides and selling large stocks of highly poisonous pesticides to the people and earn profits.
“This severely affects the health of the people who consume fruits and vegetables. At the moment all insecticides prescribed by the Government to control the armyworm caterpillar is highly poisonous and very dangerous. It is suspicious whether the genes of maize has been created in order to attract the Armyworm caterpillar,” the Thera said.
According to Ven. Rathana Thera, The Sri Lanka National Council has all required experts, human resources, biological chemicals and machinery. They have already proved the extreme effectiveness of the chemical and field trials have repeatedly showed positive results. Public servants do not go to meet farmers and they follow the instructions given by the insecticide dealers. The Government total destroyed the programme of cultivating organic fruits and vegetables. No money was given to farmers after two years of passing the relevant Cabinet paper and the Government is giving fertilizer to farmers by force.
“We appeal to the public not to let businessman decide their food culture. Stop eating artificial chicken. Eat natural chicken from local farmers who breed them for eggs and let them grow old. We appeal the Government to stop contaminating the fresh air, soil etc of the country and let the local producers or biological chemicals to solve the issue with less time and less expenditure. We can use the Sri Lankan armed forces to use natural insecticides,” the Thera said.
One of the natural insecticide producer Buddhika Upashantha said that the natural product is extremely effective and it kills the Armyworm caterpillar in five minutes. “Only Rs. 1250 will be spent on one acre while poisonous artificial chemicals which are dangerous for human-beings cost Rs.2500 per acre. The natural product can be kept for one year. We need the legal permission to put the product into the market”, he said.
An Analyst and Researcher Malith Abeykoon said that 1000 affected hectares of maize can be saved from the Armyworm caterpillar in three days using a parasite. It cost only Rs. 200 for one acre.
K.D.Sunandalal said that it is obvious that this attack of Armyworm Caterpillar is a biological attack and evidence have been received for farmers to prove it. There are many who are responsible for this. Some companies import seeds for a very low price. The Customs had not done its duty. Several other producers of natural local insecticides also addressed the press conference.