The ban on importing some agricultural products from Arab countries will not affect supply or pricing during Ramadan, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has said.
Last month, the Ministry announced a decision to ban imports of vegetables and fruits from selected countries with effect from May 15 amid concerns about pesticide residues in excess of permissible limits.
The counties impacted by the ban include Jordan, Egypt, Oman, Lebanon and Yemen.
The ministry said the ban on these products will not affect the market in terms of quantity or quality, as there are alternative markets for importing these banned products.
The ministry said the UAE market immediately responded to the ban by importing products from Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan, Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa, The Netherlands, Malaysia, New Zealand, US, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, in addition to Turkey, France, Italy, Spain, and other exporting countries.
It also said that local products are meeting the demands of the market, with a healthy production of vegetables like zucchini, eggplants, cauliflower, cabbage and peppers.
The ministry stressed its keenness, along with local authorities, to provide healthy and safe food to consumers.
