Bulgaria’s Food Safety Agency devises action plan against tomato leaf miner

Bulgaria’s Food Safety Agency is carrying out checks in six districts across the country to test fruit and vegetables imported from Turkey, Macedonia and other third countries for pesticides, agency’s deputy director Anton Velichkov told FOCUS News Agency. In February the agency found out that vegetables imported from Jordan contained ten times more pesticides than recommended. According to Velichkov now that the agency has recently been established the control on pesticides takes place more quickly than previously.

As far as third countries are concerned, the highest amount of imported vegetables and fruit in Bulgaria comes from Turkey, where farmers use plant protection substances banned in the EU. That’s why 10% of all tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchinis and pears imported from Turkey are tested for pesticide residues on the border. The agency deputy director said further that the body was checking also citrus fruit for coloring agents. In addition, the agency will devise an action plan against tomato leaf miner (tuta absoluta) after last year the pest was found in tomatoes imported into Bulgaria from the island of Crete. As of next week the agency steps up border control and starts checking Bulgarian greenhouses for the pest. The agency will check also flowers, because they could bring dangerous quarantine pests into the country.


Source: focus-fen.net


Publication date: 3/2/2011