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Lab testing of potatoes, green chillies before export mandatory: APEDA
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Friday, 13 June, 2014, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Libin Chacko Kurian, Mumbai
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fiogf49gjkf0d Due to the ban imposed by Saudi Arabia on Indian green chillies and Russia’s displeasure about contaminated potatoes from India, the Agricultural and Processed Food Export Development Authority (APEDA) imposed mandatory laboratory testing of exporting items.
With effect from May 30, 2014, Saudi Arabia had banned the import of green chillies from India due to the presence of a higher-than-permissible level of pesticide residues. In the past, there have been several reported instances of contaminated green chilli consignments in Saudi Arabia.
APEDA had issued several advisories to the exporters of green chillies urging them to get their consignments tested from APEDA-approved laboratories and export only the compliant material. The exporters did not take serious cognisance of these advisories, and that resulted in a ban.
The agriculture ministry directed APEDA not to issue any phytosanitary certificates to consignments containing chillies to the Middle-East or potatoes to Russia without submitting a certificate by a lab approved by the authority. APEDA doubled the sampling intensity for potatoes to Russia.
A recent communication by the Federal Services for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (FSVPS) of the Russian Federation informed that 23 consignments of Indian potatoes have been intercepted with pests and diseases. It demanded that stringent action be taken.
V K Kaul, deputy general manager, APEDA, said, “In a serious tone, the Russian government informed us to take immediate measures to stop phytosanitary violations in exporting potatoes, as they found many consignments contaminated.”
“The investigations are still going on. The contamination was identified as brown rot agent (Ralstonia solanacearum), which poses a potential threat for Russia. APEDA is strict to its quality methods and advised exporters to follow all quality measures,” he added.
“As per the directions of the agricultural ministry, APEDA would produce a phyto-sanitary certificate only after lab testings. The quality testing of exporting potatoes to Russia in APEDA-approved laboratories are now mandatory,” Kaul added.
The document released by FSVPS stated that the violations of phytosanitary requirements during the potato exportation from India and Bangladesh to Russia have become systematic. It added that since the beginning of 2014, Brown Rot agent, which is exotic for the Russian territory, had been detected in 24 potato consignments from these countries.
“Such violations of the international and Russian plant quarantine legislation are the reason to impose temporary restrictions on import of high-phytosanitary risk products from the violating countries,” it added.
“However, realising the necessity to maintain and develop trade relations, the Rosselkhoznadzor sent official letters to Indian and Bangladeshi national plant protection organisations with a request to investigate the violations immediately and take urgent measures,” the document said.
Currently, Ralstonia solanacearum was included in the list of quarantineable objects in Russia. In case this agent is spread in the Russian territory, it may cause economic losses of about 700-760 thousand rubles a year, based on an estimate.
T Sudhakar, deputy general manager, APEDA, said “Misunderstanding in the use of pesticide residues by farmers lead to the recent ban on Indian green chillies by Saudi Arabia. Farmers use different kinds of chemicals and pesticides to protect their crops and for good harvest.”
“But using of these chemicals are depended on many factors, including the soil, the climate, the place and even the variety of chillies produced. Using pesticides just before the harvest would be dangerous, and mostly affects the exporting consignments,” he added.
“Every pesticide has a prescribed level of use. Farmers should not use pesticides, if it is labelled unfit for chillies or vegetables. The quantity of pesticides can also affect the quality of products. Careless use of chemicals would affect the trade of agricultural products with foreign countries,” Sudhakar said.
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