Turkey bans 9 pesticides in production of some crops

Turkish Agriculture Ministry introduced a ban on use of nine chemical substances in production of tomatoes, peppers, courgettes and pears.

The ministry issued a circular letter to all provincial offices and asked officials to warn all exporters, producers and farmers on pesticide residues on fresh peppers, courgettes, tomatoes and pears.

Prohibited chemical substances are carbendazim, Clofentenize, Diafenthiuron, dimethoate, Formetanate, Malathion, Procymidon, Tetradifen and Thiophanate-methyl.

Ministry's decision comes after the EU amended last year a regulation on "official controls on imports of certain feed and food of non-animal origin." EU's regulation tightens controls on these nine chemical substances along with Methomyl and Oxamyl that had been banned earlier.

A ministry official said that measures on food safety taken in Turkey were much more tougher than EU criteria.

"Prohibition of these chemical substances will pave the way for production of higher quality products and protection of human health," said Bedrullah Ercin, head of ministry's provincial office in Antalya.

"EU's ban is not against Turkish products. Although several substances were banned in previous years, Turkey's exports rose 23 percent in 2010," Ercin said.