EU eases pesticide residues standards for Thai veggies

BANGKOK, January 12 (TNA) - The European Union (EU) has relieved its pesticide residues standards for Thai exports of fresh vegetables, effective from January 1, 2013. Director-General of the Thai Ministry of Commerce's Department of Foreign Trade Pranee Siriphan confirmed on Saturday that the European Commission has resolved to ease its pesticide residues control levels as indicated in the Commission Regulation (EC) No. 669/2009, which had been in effect since January 25, 2010, from 50 per cent to 20 per cent for Thai vegetables, including, yard long beans, aubergines and brasica vegetable. However, Pranee acknowledged, the European Commission has kept intact its pesticide residues control standards for other Thai vegetable exports, namely those for basil and coriander remained at 20 per cent and pepper at 10 per cent; while tests for salmonella control in exports of Thai basil, coriander and mint have been maintained at 10 per cent. According to the senior official, Thailand's exports of frozen, fresh and dried vegetables to the EU had stood at 36 million US dollars on average from 2008-2010 and exports of Thai vegetables to the 27-member European trade bloc were recorded at 27.4 million US dollars during the first 11 months of last year, a 8.7 per cent year-on-year drop. Nonetheless, the senior official noted the EU's latest decision to lower its pesticide residues control standards for Thai vegetable exports reflected that huge European market has now become more confident in the Thai products, which in turn should lead to growing Thai vegetable exports to the European market in the future. (TNA)