The Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage has informed exporters that pesticide residue report was required for export of mango, chilli, peppers and cucumber to the UAE.
The advisory has been issued after the UAE made it mandatory that pesticide residue analysis report should be accompanied with each of the above mentioned consignment with effect from May 1 for the sake of health and safety of consumers.
The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, UAE, in a recent communication to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, had informed the presence of high level of pesticide residues exceeding the permitted limits particularly in chilli, peppers, mango and cucumber consignments exported from India.
The UAE had decided that entry of chilli, peppers, mango and cucumber from India would not be allowed if each of the consignment was not accompanied with a residue analysis report from May 1, 2016 onwards.
The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare has taken a serious view on the matter. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has issued a separate advisory for exporters to strictly adhere to the import requirement of the UAE while exporting chilli, peppers, mango and cucumber to that overseas destination.
Accordingly, the Plant Protection Adviser has advised the Phytosanitary Certificate (PSCs) issuing authorities to issue PSCs for chilli, peppers, mango and cucumber exported to UAE only after the production of test report on pesticide residues obtained from any one of the APEDA recognised laboratories.
The Plant Quarantine authorities at Tiruchi international airport has in turn communicated this to the exporters and Custom House Agents in Tiruchi on the need for obtaining test report on pesticide residues while exporting the four products to the UAE henceforth.
Vegetables, fruits and flowers account for the bulk of the export cargo dispatched from the Tiruchi international airport at present.
