CAIRO: A limited amount of fruits and vegetables in the market are contaminated with pesticides or sewage water, Minster of Agriculture Amin Abaza said at a People's Assembly session on Wednesday. This problem exists everywhere in the world, he added, explaining that usually a percentage of the stock is contaminated while the majority is healthy. This is due to ill practices by some farmers who immediately send their products to the markets after they have been exposed to pesticides without waiting for the specified amount of time, Abaza explained. He pointed out that while they are able to catch the majority of hazardous products before they reach consumers, sometimes a few find their way. Meanwhile, members of the People's Assembly are up in arms, accusing the government of neglecting citizens' health. "This is not the first time something like this happens, Muslim Brotherhood MP Azab Mostafa Morsi said, referring to the Russian wheat controversy that saw a shipment of wheat unfit for human consumption imported, causing an uproar. Morsi also cited other issues with regards to agriculture that he claims the ministry is neglecting and which is detrimental to the Egyptian farmer. "The Ministry of Agriculture is indifferent when it comes to the welfare of the people, he said explaining that sometimes hazardous products are still sold in the market and that the ministry imports the same crops that are cultivated by Egyptian farmers, creating fierce competition. In a phone call to primetime show, "El-Beit Beitak, Abaza said that they are working on putting an end to irrigation with sewage water. He added that everyone needs to work towards enhancing the average Egyptian farmer and modernizing traditional agricultural methods, including harvesting, marketing, packaging and transportation, all of which will increase farmers' profits.
