Saturday, November 03, 2007 Zambo mayor asks BFAD to examine farm products By Bong Garcia
MAYOR Celso Lobregat said he has requested the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD), an attached agency of the Department of Health, to determine if the farm products coming from Zamboanga del Sur contains formalin.
Lobregat’s move came after the City Council passed a resolution, urging concerned government agencies to check the reported treatment of the farm products with formalin.
The resolution was authored by Councilor Reynerio Candido after a copy of Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Agriculture and Fishery Council (PAFC), disclosing such practice by some farmers, reached the City Council.
Lobregat said samples of farm products that include vegetables, fruits, and spices, coming from Zamboanga del Sur were sent to BFAD for laboratory analysis.
The mayor said he will issue a public warning not to purchase any of the farm products coming from the said province once the laboratory analysis turns out to be positive of formalin content.
He did not however categorically say whether he will ban the entry of farm products from Zamboanga del Sur into this city’s market.
The entry points of the farm products is the Bagsakan Center in Sta. Cruz Commercial Complex that serves as the drop-off point of farm produced.
Agri-businessmen resorted to buying farm produced from nearby provinces and as far as Luzon areas since the local farmers could not sustain enough supply to meet the consumption demand of this city.
