UAE sends delegation to Egypt to review pesticide free crops efforts

An UAE government delegation will arrive in Cairo this week to review Egypt’s progress on crop quality reforms before it lifts bans on the agricultural imports from the North African country.

The UAE delegation will assess Egypt’s reform efforts to make sure its agricultural exports are pesticide free, Egyptian agriculture export council member Mostafa Al Nagari said on Tuesday.

The UAE banned in mid-May the import of certain fruits and vegetables from Egypt, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon and Yemen.

The list includes all varieties of pepper from Egypt; peppers, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, squash, beans and aubergine from Jordan; apples from Lebanon; melons, carrots and watercress from Oman; and all types of fruit from Yemen.

The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said in a statement in late April five countries affected by the ban must submit certificates to indicate that all their exports are free of pesticide residues before imports can resume.

Pesticides, particularly derivatives of chlorinated pesticides, are harmful because they can bioaccumulate and build up to dangerous levels in the body and environment.