Kerala Agricultural University finds no pesticide residue in onam vegetables

THRISSUR: The vegetable samples, collected from fields of Kerala during July-September, were 93.4 percent pesticide-free, shows the latest report published by the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU). Vegetable, fruit and food product samples were analysed at Pesticide Residue Research Analytical Lab (PRRAL) at Vellayani under the safe-to-eat project on Tuesday. They conduct such tests every three months since 2013.

"The deduction of hazardous chemicals in vegetables produced in the state indicate a strong impact of the organic initiatives of the state government as well as the highly positive public response," said Dr Thomas Biju Mathew, who heads the PRRAL. He said several voluntary organisations, residents associations and political parties had taken the initiative in cultivating pesticide-free vegetables for Onam and that might have reflected in the latest data. He also said the results that from the vegetable samples collected from shops just before the tests were conducted showed more than 91 percent safe-to-eat.

Remaining Concerns
"But other than the percentage-wise figures from samples collected once in three months, we need to carry out such tests at least every month with more samples. Out of the 65 produces used in the state only 20 are produced in Kerala, and all the sixty produces could be covered in the test conducted over a year.

So, after getting the test results until December, we can bring a much comprehensive data for this year," Mr Mathew said. He also said as no upper and lower limit for the pesticide content not fixed in India yet, no legal action can be initiative if pesticide content is found in vegetables, fruits and food products.