New Delhi: A study by All India Co-ordinated Research Project on pesticide residues found 46 per cent of 359 samples of fruits and 64 per cent of the 592 vegetable samples it analysed to contain residues of locally applied pesticides like endosulfan, chloropyriphos and malathion.

"Out of 359 samples of different fruits analysed, 46 per cent samples were found to contain residues of locally applied pesticides. However, in all these fruit samples, the residues were found to be below the prescribed MRL values," Minister of State for Agriculture Hukumdeo Narayan Yadav told Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

However, of the 64 per cent vegetable samples found containing pesticide residues, nine per cent contained residues above their respective Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) values, the Minister said.

"Pesticide residues in vegetables can be decontaminated to 80-100 per cent by washing and cooking," he said.

In reply to another question, Yadav said the Department of Agriculture & Co-operation has advised states and union territories to initiate appropriate action for getting National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accreditation for State Pesticide Testing Laboratories. At present, such accreditation is not mandatory.

On being asked about kharif crop estimates this year, he said as per first advanced estimates, total food grain output is likely at 108.45 million tonnes, total oilseed at 15.08 million tonnes, cotton at 13.12 million bales and sugarcane at 261.37 million tonnes.

PTI