Minister Navin Dissanayake yesterday revealed that it was President Maithripala Sirisena who presented a Cabinet paper seeking to lift the ban on Glyphosate. 

"The president presented a cabinet paper today lifting the glyphosate ban for tea and rubber for a period of three years based on an expert committee report.I thank everybody who supported me to fight for something that the industry wanted.One cannot do commercial agriculture without a weedicide. period," the Minister said. 

With the Cabinet decision made yesterday, the tea and rubber industries will be allowed to use Glyphosate without any barrier from the government. 

However, while speaking at a press conference last week, Parliamentarian Athuraliye Rathana Thera said when he spoke to the President over the Glyphosate matter the latter said he was unaware of the lifting of the ban. 

The Thera added that President Sirisena's Secretary Austin Fernando also gave the same response.