No toxic content in vegetables produced in TN, says university

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University today sought to allay fears on the reported toxic contents in the vegetables grown and send to neighbouring Kerala from Tamil Nadu.
Rejecting the reports categorically, university Vice-Chancellor Dr K Ramasamy told reporters here that the institution was monitoring samples of vegetables on weekly basis in its laboratory, accredited by National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories for pesticide residues.
Moreover, the farmers were harvesting their produce only after 10 days if pesticides were sprayed, which again assured that there were no residues present in the vegetables, he said.
Kerala government had raised concerns about excessive use of pesticides on vegetable farms in Tamil Nadu.

Kerala Health Minister V Sivakumar had stated yesterday that as part the government's drive against sale of vegetables with high pesticides residue content, coming from neighbouring states, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy would write to his counterparts seeking steps to prevent supply of such vegetables.
The government had also decided to convene an inter-state secretary level meeting next month to discuss the matter, he had stated.
It was also decided to constitute a state-level co-ordination committee with wholesale vegetable traders to monitor the arrival of vegetables from other states. To prevent sale of vegetables with pesticide content, the government has made it mandatory for all vegetables traders to get license and registration, the minister had stated.