Pesticide residue rates drop by 35 pct, says minister

Türkiye has achieved a significant 35 percent reduction in pesticide residue rates over the past years, according to Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı.

Addressing public concerns about food safety, Yumaklı confronted allegations that agricultural products rejected for export due to pesticide residues were being sold in the domestic market.

Speaking to the daily Hürriyet, Yumaklı emphasized the government's stringent approach to inspections and stated, "If pesticide residues exceed legal limits, those products are destroyed without hesitation."

Yumaklı highlighted efforts to ensure food safety, noting that 223 harmful substances have been banned and a Residue Action Plan is in place for 11 crops across 13 of the country's 81 provinces, including Adana, İzmir and Antalya.

"We use a sampling method for inspections and are in full compliance with EU standards. In the last three years, 250,000 pesticide samples were analyzed, leading to a 35 percent reduction in residue rates," he explained.

Yumaklı also revealed that notifications from the EU's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) had decreased by 54 percent.

Recently, several Turkish exports faced scrutiny abroad. A shipment of peppers was returned by Germany due to excessive pesticide residues, while a batch of lemons was rejected by Russia for similar reasons. Yumaklı reiterated that such cases represent a minuscule fraction of exports.

To reduce reliance on imports, the ministry is focusing on domestic production. Istanbul, which consumes 25 percent of Türkiye's food, will benefit from six new Organized Agricultural Zones (OIZs) in the region, designed to cut energy costs and provide fresh produce locally. "We have established 60 OIZs across...