The Ministry of Environment and Water has shared its initiative to promote public health by implementing stricter guidelines to strengthen food security measures for local produce in an active effort to mitigate occurrences of agricultural pests and infectious diseases. After a thorough investigation, the ministry has dispelled earlier reports that were circulated in social media within the region regarding the presence of ‘cucumber beetles’ in imported watermelons.

The ministry underlined the responsibility of food agencies as well as the need for their cooperation to safeguard the health conditions of market places. The ministry has taken samples of produce to be examined to ensure that they are in compliance with the national standards for food safety. Following this initiative, they have confirmed that the products that are safe for human consumption, noting that their findings found that the collection of produce not at par with the national health standards started rotting and was damaged as a result of improper storage and transportation.

The ministry is eager to enact stringent evaluation procedures towards agricultural consignments entering the country and filtered through quarantine centers. This includes closer inspection of all documents accompanying the consignment, conducting physical- and laboratory-approved tests, and rejecting items that have failed required specifications