China's Ministry of Agriculture said in Beijing on Wednesday
that 94.7 percent of vegetables tested in 37 Chinese cities met
internationally required levels of pesticide residue.
The ministry's latest research on the quality of national
agricultural products shows that 99.2 percent of aquatic products
tested in eight cities proved free of chloramphenicol, an
antibiotic that is also banned in some countries.
Zhang Yuxiang, director of the ministry's Market and Economic
Information Department, said the proportion of vegetables that meet
standards in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Shenzhen cities has
increased by 29 percentage points since 2001, while the proportion
of livestock that meet residue standards in the four cities was up
33 percentage points.
"Generally speaking, China's agricultural products are good and
safe to eat," said Zhang.
China started regular testing of agricultural products in
2001.Currently, the ministry makes five monitoring and supervision
tests each year on vegetables in 37 cities, livestock products in
22 cities and aquatic products in eight cities.
China is facing international challenges over its agricultural
products that have too much chemical residue. In May, Japan imposed
stringent new requirements on allowable chemical residue on China's
farm produce exports.
(Xinhua News Agency July 6, 2006)