New standards for feed crop, cat breeding push up certification fees

Deputy Minister Prapat Potasuthon said the ministry had also adopted 20 points for standards on agricultural products in 2021 and product standard regulation over the next three years (2021-2023), to meet international standards.
He said the amendments focused on black mung beans, dry acacia for animal feed, cat breeding, and limits on residual hazardous substances.
Juadee Pongmaneerat, secretary-general of the National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards, said the process of harvesting and transporting black mung beans had to be hygienic in order to be accepted internationally.
About 60,000 tonnes of Thai dry acacia are sold annually to livestock-feed factories in Japan and South Korea but to standardise quality, it needs to be processed in three types: minced, powdered and pellet acacia, she said.
Meanwhile, commercial cat breeding facilities will face new standards on design, management, staff, breeding, health, transport and records to ensure cat’s health and heredity.
The standard maximum residue limits (MRLs index) will apply to hazardous substances in agricultural products in food and animal feed in production, trading and product control for import and export.
Juadee added that Thai agriculture products have biological diversity and the scientific data used to evaluate MRLs does not cover all products, notably pesticides such as Imidaclopid and Thiamethoxam to control aphids that damage pineapples, and Carbaryl for aphids that attack oranges.