S. Korea finds 17 pct of farm, forestry imports dangerous in H1

SEOUL, July 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's state quarantine body said Tuesday 17
percent of the agricultural and forestry imports checked during the first half of
2009 posed a danger to the local ecosystem, a rise over last year.
The National Plant Quarantine Service (NPQS) said it stopped 12,428 shipments and
packages out of a total of 71,246.
Out of all the contaminated products, 857 or 1.2 percent of the total imports
were returned or destroyed while the rest were allowed into the country after
being treated.
In all of 2008, the country checked 150,600 import shipments, of which about
28,000 -- equivalent to 18.5 percent -- were found have pests or viruses that
could wreak havoc on the country's ecosystem and agricultural production.
The service, which is under the agriculture ministry, said 23 new fungi, viruses
and insects have been detected so far this year.
ygkim@yna.co.kr
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