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PHL to analyze Chinese fruits, veggies amid pesticide scare


The Philippine government will conduct a special analysis of Chinese fruits and vegetables that enter the Philippines to ensure that these are safe to consume, Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) director Clarito Barron said Monday. Barron said government will do this amid China’s plans to stop using the 10 most toxic pesticides that are being used on Chinese farm products. “We will make sure that no commodities laced with the said banned chemicals will find their way into the domestic food chain," Barron told reporters on the sidelines of the Asia and Pacific Plant Protection Commission 27th session in Makati City. Chinese representatives will provide the Philippine government with the list of banned chemicals during their technical working session next Thursday, said the delegation from China led by Dr. Jingyuan Xia, director general of China’s National Agro-Technical Extension and Service Center. Norlito Gicana, director of the Philippine Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, said government will issue an advisory on the ban again the 10 toxic substances once the list is available. When to implement the ban “We will review and then we will decide when we're going to implement the ban on these chemicals," Gicana said. The list of banned pesticides likely includes fenamiphos and fonofos – two toxic substances used in crop fumigation. These products may also possess carcinogenic properties. In July, China declared that it will prohibit the use of 10 most toxic pesticides to enhance the global acceptability of its agriculture exports and expedite the globalization of its industries, including the agriculture sector. China is the largest pesticide producer and consumer in the world, with production hitting 2.26 million tons in 2009, based on figures from China’s National Bureau of Statistics. The Philippines imports a number of fruits and vegetables from China, such as apples, pears, carrots, green peas, and onions. — PE/VS, GMA News

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