Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Veggies and fruits sans labels galore

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Vendors seem to pay no heed to the directive issued by the Muscat Municipality to display labels of farms on vegetables and fruits sold in the market.


The directive was issued by the civic authority to confirm the legitimacy of farms and ensure Omani vegetables and fruits do not exceed the residue limits of pesticides.


According to a municipality official, a decision to this effect was taken recently at a high level meeting of Health Committee, which was attended by stakeholders in the issue.


“It is mandatory that farms have their labels on all their produces so that it becomes easy for the authorities to trace violators and take action against them,” said the official.


Contrary to what the civic body is seeking, there were no labels on most vegetables and fruits sold in the capital. Some shopkeepers are even unaware of such a directive.


“We have our agents who supply vegetables and other farm produces to us. They deal with farm owners. Hence, they only know from where they are sourced,” said a salesperson at a supermarket.


While most imported items have their brand names and origin of country printed on the packets, the local produce, including the green leaves, did not have any stickers.


The civic official said inspections will be intensified in the coming weeks to ensure the directive is followed by both farm owners and shops.


“The municipality gives top priority to the health of the citizens and residents. Violators will be booked and action will be taken as per the law,” said the official.


Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture said more than 1,600 samples were collected from different commercial farms in the country and tested. Of these, 98 per cent conformed to permissible limits of pesticides.


In May last, the ministry had asked importers of vegetables and fruits to submit a certificate mentioning the allowed percentage of pesticide content in all consignments entering the Sultanate.


Through a circular, the ministry said, “Importers of food crops have to submit an approved certificate from accredited departments of the exporting countries. Without a certificate, food products will be rejected and not allowed to enter the country.”


SAMUEL KUTTY


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