Food ban is a short pain for a long gain

Prices of fruits and vegetable are likely to go up next month. Ravindranath K / The National

At a time when salaries are stagnant and the cost of living creeps up every month, any news of price hikes, especially on essential commodities, is bound to cause discomfort. Indeed, many consumers are no doubt exasperated by news that they will have to pay more for fruit and vegetables from next month.

As The National reported this week, the authorities have banned the import of fruit and vegetables from five countries – Egypt, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon and Yemen – amid fears of high levels of pesticides being applied to produce from these territories. Many still wonder why this would significantly affect the prices and why farm produce cannot be imported from other countries nearby, but green grocers and importers insist that they will now have to look for supplies in Europe and Africa. And, they say, because they are having to cast their nets farther afield, costs will inevitably drift upwards. As Shokrollah Ali, managing director of Shokri Hassan Trading at Dubai’s Fruit and Vegetable Market, pointed out: “The farther the country of import, the higher the price”.

That, of course, is only one side of the story. The other side is public safety. The authorities have acted appropriately to avoid a potential health crisis and to make sure that consumers are not placed at risk. In the short term this may mean prices will rise – causing annoyance for supermarket customers everywhere – but in the long term, market forces should see those prices settle down, as importers negotiate better rates with producers further afield.

The ban provides an opportunity for producers in the five countries that have been targeted. Simply, they must modernise and improve their growing techniques. Last year, a ban was placed on the entry of chilli peppers, mangoes and cucumbers from India after food-safety inspectors found unacceptable levels of pesticides and dangerous chemicals in them. It was lifted after exporters made sure that their products met our safety standards.

It’s clear that consumers are also more interested than ever in the provenance of the produce they buy. If supermarkets and grocers are more transparent about where they have sourced produce from and what chemicals were applied to that product in the growing process, then some consumers may be willing to pay a premium for such product. There are then, opportunities for retailers and producers to grasp.