Say no to
‘bugs’
Times Food Processing Journal presents a case study by
the Centre for International Trade and Agro-based
Industries (CITA) on bio-security and health threat from
apples imported from US
CITA has proposed
modifications in
quarantine
requirements for the import
of apples from US. Based on
its Quarantine Monitoring
and Research, the
association's Quarantine
Policy Paper suggests that
certain pests are of quarantine
concern to India - because these
pests, which are especially found in
apples from the US, are not present in
Indian apples.
According to CITA research
• Total pest of apple in the world = 380
• Total pest of apple in US = 184
• Number of pest that warrant quarantine
measures = 87.
At the same time Indian Quarantine laws
are silent on these pests. This is a dangerous
gap and will hurt Indian apple producers
seriously. The entry of these pests must be
restricted. The list of 87 pests of quarantine
concern to India in apples from the US is
mentioned in Table I.
The implications are serious
and forever
• Any new insect or pest will hurt Indian
farmers badly because they will have to buy
new pesticides which can be patented and
which will increase the cost of production for
Indian farmers.
• Indian farmers will
suffer in trade because
more pesticides means
more pesticide residues -
and more environmental
and health hazards in rural
India and for Indian
consumers
• Indian consignments will
face rejection due to more
pesticide residues
• Indian farmers will suffer due
to more toxins in their surroundings
• Overall competitiveness and food safety in
India will suffer.
• When rejection of consignments is
increasing all over the world, India is the
dumping ground for all the rejects and
substandard products of the world.
• Our port officers are concerting India into
dustbin of the world. The figures of rejections
at the port are clear evidence to support the
claim.
• It is high time we rectify all the relevant
laws to save India.
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