The Ministry of Agriculture will today be embarking on a pilot program to screen pesticide residue on vegetables and fruits at municipal markets around the country.
As part of the program, the Ministry will use the Pesticide Test Kit at its Fiji Agricultural Chemistry Laboratory based at the Koronivia Research Station where trial runs are being conducted on it for pesticide screening.
Acting Director Crop Research Dr. Apaitia Macanawai says the laboratory test will conduct qualitative analysis.
He says they will start pesticide screening on vegetables and fruits from the Sigatoka, Suva and the Nausori municipal markets and later they will move to other municipal markets.
Dr Macaniwai says the pesticide screening will give them an indication of whether pesticide residue is present or not.
He adds that the Ministry is also working closely with the International Atomic Energy Agency for a project that will begin in 2020.
The Acting Director says this project will help in the Establishment of a Food Safety Laboratory for Analysis of Pesticide Residue in fruits, vegetables and root crops for quantitative analysis
The Ministry of Agriculture will also work with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services on standards and regulations to confiscate vegetables found to be unsafe.
