An alarm sounded for tainted fruit and vegetable imports in Thailand

The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) is calling on the government to examine fruit and vegetables purchased from neighbouring countries and China more carefully after pesticide contamination was discovered in some imports of farm produce. "Thailand continues to import fruit and vegetables contaminated by chemicals banned in many countries," said Kriengkrai Thiennukul, chairman of the FTI. More careful examination of imported farm produce is required to prevent an unhealthy impact on consumers, he said. One option is to increase the number of inspection officials examining imports of fruit and vegetables, said Mr Kriengkrai, which would build greater confidence among consumers. In January of 2024, the value of imported fruit and vegetables increased by 8.4% year-on-year to 13.2 billion baht, according to the FTI. The imports included oranges, tomatoes, kale, basil, chillies and cauliflower. The FTI is also concerned with the impact of imports on Thailand's agricultural sector, ...