Pyeongtaek Provides Pesticide Residue Analysis Service to Local Farmers

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Pyeongtaek City announced on the 27th that it will provide pesticide residue analysis services to local agricultural product producers starting this year.

This decision was made after the city established a safety analysis lab within the Pyeongtaek Agricultural Technology Center last year to strengthen the safety of local agricultural products and supply safe produce to residents, making full-scale service now possible.

The pesticide residue analysis service is available free of charge to farmers residing in Pyeongtaek or those producing agricultural products in the city. Applicants can collect 1-2 kg of agricultural products before shipping in a sample envelope and submit it to the safety analysis lab (1st floor of the main building).

The Agricultural Technology Center will provide a "safe shipment date" based on the results of the pesticide residue (safety) analysis before the agricultural products are shipped to market, and plans to continue actively supporting farmers in producing safe agricultural products. The safe shipment date refers to the number of days required for pesticide residue in agricultural products at the production stage to decompose and decrease to levels harmless to human health.

An official from the Agricultural Technology Center stated, "As consumer demand for agricultural product safety has increased, we expect to be able to proactively respond through safety management before shipment of local agricultural products, providing consumers with greater confidence in and opportunities to purchase locally produced agricultural products."

For more information about pesticide residue (safety) analysis, inquiries can be directed to the Safety Analysis Lab of the Technology Extension and Environment & Livestock Division at the Agricultural Technology Center (031-8024-4623).