Ban on Omani foods

A ban on some Omani foods has “greatly harmed Oman”, a Shura member told the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries at a council meeting yesterday.

Last week, the United Arab Emirates banned certain Oman-produced vegetables from the country, citing high levels of pesticide. The ministry responded to the ban by stating that 98 per cent of 1,600 items recently tested were found to be safe, but that more rigorous testing would be conducted to weed out rogue farmers and producers. 

Addressing the Shura Council, Hilal Al Yahyai, Chairman of the Shura Committee on Food and Water Security, told Dr Fuad Al Sajwani, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, that the ban harmed Oman

The minister spoke about a meeting with the UAE envoy last week, adding, “We conveyed our observations in the meeting, and to this day we did not receive the official list of banned products from the UAE.”

Al Sajwani added: “There is no such thing as a 100 per cent examination, but several samples are always taken for testing. I do say that there are transgressions, and they are being dealt with.”

During discussions, Al-Yahyai demanded “a clear and urgent strategy for agricultural production” in Oman, citing that there needs to be consolidated efforts to examine products, both inside and outside Oman. In response, Dr Al Sajwani referred to the existence of an agreement between the Sultanate and neighbouring countries, “where they would address us if there are observations on agricultural products.”

“We transfer tens of thousands of agricultural, fish and animal shipments daily, and these mistakes are likely to happen, although we are always checking products.”

“Omanis have a responsibility to oversee their farms, but the problem is we have entrusted expats with our farms,” the Minister added.

Council member Al Yahyai added that more than one million tons of agricultural products are exported outside the Sultanate.

“We conduct permanent field visits to shops and farms, and some pesticides have been seized.

“The Ministry’s research laboratories take samples to be checked and analysed for safety,” the minister said, adding that markets for agricultural products are under the responsibility of the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources in Oman, and that they conduct regular visits.

Minister Al Sajwani added, “The ministry deals with tens of thousands of shipments, and more than 166,000 farm areas in various governorates of the Sultanate. In the case of any rare violations, the percentage only reaches about 1 per cent, and most of the world suffers the same minor issue, including neighbouring countries. He also stressed that citizen-owners of farms must follow up with migrant workers who cause problems on the farms.”

Source: Timesofoman