Rejected produce sold in Malaysia

Rejected produce sold in Malaysia

MALAYSIA: Fruit and vegetables which have been rejected by other
countries because of high pesticide levels are being sold locally
in Malaysia, a government official said.

Mohamad Shariff Omar, Malaysia's deputy agriculture minister,
said some Malaysian fresh produce bound for export markets was
being rejected because of pesticide levels, The Sun newspaper
reported Friday.

The rejected food was being sold in domestic markets, he was
cited as saying.

Mohamad said the government wants farmers to use less
pesticide to overcome the problem and help develop new markets
for Malaysian produce. Malaysia exported 6.5 billion ringgit
(US$1.7 billion) worth of fresh produce last year, he said. --AP