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Proceedings of the Asia regional workshop on the

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Introducti<strong>on</strong><br />

- 154 -<br />

SINGAPORE<br />

by Agnes Chin<br />

Singapore is not an agricultural country. Nearly 95 percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> fresh fruits and vegetables are<br />

imported into Singapore from all over <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> world such as Malaysia, China, Thailand, USA and<br />

Ind<strong>on</strong>esia. Only about 5 percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> fresh vegetables are locally produced. To date, about 56 local<br />

farms produce fresh vegetables for commercial sale and 2 fruit orchards in Singapore.<br />

M<strong>on</strong>itoring <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> pesticide violati<strong>on</strong>s in imported fresh fruits and vegetables<br />

In view <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> heavy reliance <strong>on</strong> imported fresh fruits and vegetables for local c<strong>on</strong>sumpti<strong>on</strong>,<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Singapore’s (AVA) main missi<strong>on</strong> is to ensure that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

imported and locally produced fresh fruits and vegetables are safe and wholesome for c<strong>on</strong>sumpti<strong>on</strong>.<br />

Currently, AVA has no restricti<strong>on</strong>s to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> import <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> fresh fruits and vegetables from all countries into<br />

Singapore. Under <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> C<strong>on</strong>trol <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Plants Act, any pers<strong>on</strong> who wishes to import or transship fresh<br />

fruits and vegetables into Singapore needs to obtain a licence from AVA. For fresh fruits and<br />

vegetables imported into Singapore from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> South American tropical countries, a phytosanitary<br />

certificate from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> country <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> origin is also needed to certify that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> fresh fruits and vegetables are<br />

free from South American Leaf Blight or <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y are sourced from South American Leaf Blight free<br />

regi<strong>on</strong>s.<br />

To date, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re are three inspecti<strong>on</strong> programmes in place for fresh fruits and vegetables<br />

imports, namely: Routine M<strong>on</strong>itoring Programme (MSP), Enhanced Surveillance Programme (ESP)<br />

and Enhanced Enforcement Programme (EEP) cum Restricted Import Measure (RIM). According to<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> risk levels <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> commodities with reference to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> history <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> violati<strong>on</strong>s, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> various commodities<br />

are inspected under <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> three different programmes.<br />

In accordance to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> C<strong>on</strong>trol <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Plants Act, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> imported c<strong>on</strong>signment needs to comply with<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> food safety requirements and standards. Singapore adopts <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> standards <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Joint FAO/WHO<br />

Codex Alimentarius Commissi<strong>on</strong> and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Tenth Schedule <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Food Regulati<strong>on</strong>s. Any imported<br />

c<strong>on</strong>signment <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> fresh fruits and vegetables shall not c<strong>on</strong>tain any prohibited pesticide residue, or<br />

levels <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> pesticide residues or harmful chemicals exceeding <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> permitted levels set by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se<br />

standards.<br />

Fresh fruits and vegetables under MSP will be randomly sampled for laboratory analysis so<br />

as to build up a database to sieve out problematic fruits and vegetables and elevate <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> next<br />

higher level, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> ESP. Under ESP, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>signment will be detained after inspecti<strong>on</strong>, pending<br />

laboratory results and if <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>signment failed <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> laboratory analysis, it will be destroyed. If<br />

a commodity under ESP still doesn’t achieve satisfactory results, it will be elevate to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> next level,<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> EEP cum RIM. Under this program, in additi<strong>on</strong> to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>signment being detained after<br />

inspecti<strong>on</strong> pending laboratory results and destructi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> failed c<strong>on</strong>signment, enforcement acti<strong>on</strong>s<br />

will also be taken against <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> importers c<strong>on</strong>cerned. RIM will be invoked if a commodity under EEP<br />

still remains problematic whereby <strong>on</strong>ly farms approved by AVA from that particular country can<br />

export <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir products to Singapore.<br />

With <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> implementati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Enhanced Enforcement Programme (EEP) in July 1999, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

pesticide violati<strong>on</strong> rate for imported vegetables under our enforcement programmes was effectively

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