Cadmium taint hits local fruit industry
PUBLISHED : 31 Aug 2024 at 08:32
The Caretaker Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister has ordered an investigation into 12 durian exporters after Chinese authorities found cadmium in their products.
Capt Thamanat Prompow ordered the Department of Agriculture (DoA) to suspend those exporters and demanded probes into the origin of the contaminated durians.
He said he ordered the DoA to file criminal complaints against export agents who subrogated export rights from Thailand, especially those who forged the Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) certification issued by the Thai government.
According to Capt Thamanat, China requires 22 Thai fruits, including durian, to have GAP certification.
A ministry report on Jan 9 showed that 218,922 farms and 2,038 packaging plants had been issued the GAP certification.
Capt Thamanat said that his order was to help ensure the quality of Thai agricultural products, which has helped improve local income and well-being.
The order came after Chinese authorities found contamination in a total of 16 shipments involving at least 15 farms and 12 packaging facilities, he said.
After being notified, the DoA ordered the suspension of exports and sent officials to collect soil, water and durian samples from various production houses to find cadmium.
Phatchayaphon Muenjaeng, DoA deputy director, the inspection found that the cadmium contamination level was within the standard set by the Chinese government (0.05 milligrammes per kilogramme).
However, he asked durian exporters to submit at least five durians per shipment for cadmium contamination testing from Sept 2 to 16.
He said the DoA had set the Talad Morakot Central Fruit Market in Chumphon as a submission spot. The operators are expected to pay from 800–1,200 baht, including the delivery fee, for the test submission.
Mr Phatchayaphon said Chinese authorities have not yet banned durian imports from Thailand, and authorities from both countries will work closely on the probe and related mitigation efforts.
Chonlathee Numnoo, president of the Eastern Region Durian Growers Confederation, said that he had not experienced a situation like this before.
He said that the news about the cadmium contamination has also damaged the reputation of Thai durians.
He added that as an adviser to the House Committee on Agriculture and Cooperation, he would propose that its chair demand that Capt Thamanat disclose the probe’s results to the public.
According to the DoA, 714,334 tonnes of Thai durian, valued at least 94 billion baht, had been exported to China since the beginning of this year.