Top Signs You Should Have Pesticide Residue Testing Done on Your Produce
by Kathy Dean
If you grow produce, then you might be aware of just how common it is to use pesticides in the process. After all, you might use pesticides yourself, since you might know that dealing with pests can be a hassle when you're growing crops of various kinds. There are labs out there that perform pesticide residue testing to help check for any pesticide residue that might be on your fruits and vegetables. These are a few signs that you should work with one of these labs to have this testing done.
You Sell to the General Public
If you sell your produce to the general public, there are certain laws and regulations that you have to follow. These regulations are put in place in the interest of public health and safety. In Australia, for example, you are required by law to have pesticide residue testing done on many products if you intend to sell them to the general public, whether you're doing so on a small scale or a much larger scale.
Plus, not only will you want to be sure that you are compliant with these requirements, but you will also probably want to be sure that you are providing safe, good-quality products to your customers. Having pesticide residue testing done is a good idea for all of these reasons when you know you're going to be selling your products to the general public.
You Have Concerns About Pesticide
Even if you aren't going to be selling your produce, you might want to have pesticide residue testing done if you're going to be eating the produce yourself. If you have concerns about pesticide residue, such as if you have recently used a new pesticide that you aren't totally sure about, or if you aren't sure of whether or not you used the pesticide properly when you were first growing your crops, then you may want to have pesticide residue testing done so you can gain peace of mind.
You're Going to Be Shipping Your Produce Internationally
Some people who grow produce simply sell it to people in their local community, but you might be hoping to have a bigger reach than that. You might be hoping to ship your produce internationally so it can be shared with people all over the world and so you can have a more profitable business, for example. If you're going to be doing this, then you might have stricter regulations to follow, and there's a good chance that pesticide residue testing will be required in at least some countries.
For more information on pesticide residue, contact a professional near you.
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About Me
There are so many things that we are just starting to understand and relearn about agriculture these days. Rotating crops and growing different things in the fields each year can help to balance the nutrients that are left in the ground and make sure that the earth is prepared for the new crop. This was something that people used to know and integrate as part as standard farming process and then it started to fall by the wayside as farming got more 'efficient'. If you are interested in knowing more about crop rotation and sustainable farming, then keep reading this blog.