questions about organic vegetable and fruits

[vagabond48]

I didn't want to sidetrack the other recent "where to buy organic produce" thread so I started this new one.

(1) I was wondering if people know which vegetable and fruits grown in this area are pesticide free because they don't need it.

I believe native bananas, papaya and mangoes are. Correct me if I am wrong.

(2) About 1 1/2 weeks ago we went for the 1st time to buy some veggies at the Royal project store at CMU. My wife purchased some "organic" round type tomatoes. They were not as ripe as I wanted them so I placed them in an enclosed shoe box to help them ripen. They still haven't ripened any further.

I would have thought that if they are pesticide free that they would contnue to ripen and actual spoil after a short time.

I have purchased 5KG for similar tomatoes at the main vegetable market at almost the same price as the handful I purchased at the Project store and they for the most part didn't spoil for a long time either but I figured they were sprayed with pesticides.

Any knowledgeable folks care to weigh in?

[kaptainrob]

Labeling and bagging is no guarantee of 'organic' or 'pesticide free', although this time of year, tomatoes must be picked green or sprayed if left to ripen.

Put a ripening banana in that shoebox and place in warm location.

[quidnunc]

Why do you assume that there's a link between pesticides and ripening off the vine? I never heard of any connection between the two.

[NancyL]

You might have better luck posting looking over the topics in the "farming" forum about which crops can be easily grown here without pesticides.

All I know is that there was a time in my life, long ago and far away when I was associated with a chemical production plant that made a really fantastic fungicide. The biggest market for that fungicide was in SE Asia for just the crops you mention. I still see that it's used today in this area. It leaves a tell-tale white residue on the crop and I sometimes see the faintest traces of it on the products in the market stalls. You can wash it off, but they really shouldn't be harvesting crops so soon after that fungicide has been applied that you can still see it (if you know what you're looking at) I especially notice it on papaya and green mangoes, but have seen it on other crops, as well. (good thing those are crops you peel before you eat them.)

[Iamemjay]

Sorry to dissolution you, but there is no such thing as an organic papaya - except maybe the ones that are grown in backyards. Look at the www if you want confirmation of that. In plantation situations the trees have to be sprayed every 10 days to prevent the virus which has wiped out half the world's plantations and affected 90% of Thailand's.

We grow coffee in the North and don't pretend that our crop is pesticide free, Yet we can sell it to a number of companies that exclusively market "organic" coffee, no questions asked. When we DID grow it organically (originally, but gave up out of frustration) and wanted a premium on our selling price from these well known Thai companies we were just laughed at.

Quite frankly, if you want organic veges in Thailand, grow them yourself as I do. When you buy them, DON'T buy the best looking ones. Look for the holes chewed through the leaves and spots. They will at least have LESS pesticide, or have been less recently sprayed.

We live near a Royal Project that supposedly grows all organic produce, but an experienced eye will soon determine that this is NOT the case. It is clear from observation of the varieties grown (eg. tomatoes) and the size, perfection of them that they are pumped full of chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

[NancyL]

Sorry to dissolution you, but there is no such thing as an organic papaya - except maybe the ones that are grown in backyards. Look at the www if you want confirmation of that. In plantation situations the trees have to be sprayed every 10 days to prevent the virus which has wiped out half the world's plantations and affected 90% of Thailand's.

We grow coffee in the North and don't pretend that our crop is pesticide free, Yet we can sell it to a number of companies that exclusively market "organic" coffee, no questions asked. When we DID grow it organically (originally, but gave up out of frustration) and wanted a premium on our selling price from these well known Thai companies we were just laughed at.

Quite frankly, if you want organic veges in Thailand, grow them yourself as I do. When you buy them, DON'T buy the best looking ones. Look for the holes chewed through the leaves and spots. They will at least have LESS pesticide, or have been less recently sprayed.

We live near a Royal Project that supposedly grows all organic produce, but an experienced eye will soon determine that this is NOT the case. It is clear from observation of the varieties grown (eg. tomatoes) and the size, perfection of them that they are pumped full of chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

That's my observation, too. After I left the employ of that chemical company, Hubby and I owned a greenhouse/nursery business, so I have some experience in looking at crops, like those that come out of the Royal Projects. At best, I'd hope they're using good practices of following pesticide label instructions when it comes to how long you must wait after spraying before you can harvest the crop. And, hopefully following label instructions about using the appropriate concentration of chemicals and spray intervals. Also, it looks like they use much human labor in pinching and grooming of the plants during production and in post-harvest cleaning and packaging. It makes for great looking crops, but not truly organic products.

Edited June 2, 2014 by NancyL

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Nong the owner of Baan Suan Pak health food store uses reagent tests to check for the presence of chemicals.

She organizes the produce into organic, low pesticide and conventional and uses a different color label for each.

Not a lot of true organic out there but don't worry too much because the health benefits haven't really been well validated.

[wigantojapan]

The sun grows all my fruit ,,sun and water alone...if anyone interested