Agriculture Department refutes releasing infested Chrysanthemum flowers

Colombo, May 23 (Daily Mirror) - The Director General of Agriculture has refuted allegations of releasing imported stocks of fresh cut flowers despite the presence of dangerous pests, risking the spread of these pests within the country.

Director General Thushara Wickramaarachchi said a consignment of flowers was imported into the country in 18 cardboard boxes on January 12, 2026 and since no insect pests or disease symptoms were observed in 12 of these 18 boxes, they were released after physical inspections.

He said however, after laboratory tests, the early life cycle stages of the whitefly—an insect pest specific to Chrysanthemum cultivation—and symptoms of White Rust disease were identified in samples obtained from the six Chrysanthemum boxes and recommendations were given to destroy the relevant six boxes as they were pests from a foreign country.

He said they were incinerated and destroyed on January 30, 2026, using an incinerator at the Bandaranaike International Airport and said this controversial stock of flowers has not been released in any illegal manner or in a way that harms agriculture.

The Director General said unfounded statements can damage the trust that exists among international trading partners regarding Sri Lanka's plant quarantine methodology and this could lead to a decline in our country's ratings regarding Phytosanitary and Plant health status at the international level, which will ultimately deal a severe blow to our export market.

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP D.V. Chanaka told Parliament recently that a stock of cut Chrysanthemum flowers has been released despite the presence of an insect called ‘White Fly’, which would destroy Sri Lankan food crops.