Discussion Held on Pesticide-Free Farm Exports

A discussion on ensuring pesticide residue-free ag­ricultural exports was held on 16 October at the Min­gala Hall of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) in Yangon.

During the event, Dr Ye Tint Tun, deputy min­ister for Agriculture, Live­stock, and Irrigation, deliv­ered opening remarks. He noted that while the state prioritizes the agricultur­al sector by exporting raw materials and finished products, the presence of pesticide residues acts as an obstacle to business operations. He urged all stakeholders to cooperate as a national duty to en­sure crops are free from pesticide residues. Fur­thermore, he warned that reports labelling Myanmar products as unsafe could severely harm foreign exchange earnings and the interests of business owners.

Next, UMFCCI vice president U Ye Min Aung emphasized the necessi­ty of building good rela­tions for exports through government-to-govern­ment (G-to-G) as well as association-to-business (B-to-B) channels. He also discussed the importance of thoroughly preparing inspection processes and collaborating with associ­ations to boost exports and penetrate international markets.

Following this, an offi­cial presented guidelines on keeping export crops free from pesticide resi­due, and attendees asked questions and engaged in discussions. — TWA/ZN