Farmers found irrigating their crops with waste water will have their operations closed down, said Hussein Baqeel, Chairman of the Jeddah Municipal Council (JMC). He said that the council has requested help from the laboratory of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI) to analyze samples taken from food and vegetables sold at central markets. The samples are selected randomly on a daily basis to ensure that vegetables have not been irrigated with waste water. Until the council sets up its own laboratory, the MCI laboratory will be used, said Baqeel. “Farms which use waste water for irrigation will be shut down and owners will be penalized,” said Baqeel, indicating that the ‘Soqya' committee, appointed by the Makkah Emirate and Jeddah governorate, together with the JMC office will take daily samples from the vegetables market and send them to the laboratory. Baqeel said that the JMC requested that a modern and urgent laboratory be set up at the new vegetable and fruits market before its starts operating. Mayor Dr. Hani Abu Ras commended the study conducted by the five-member committee for setting up a modern laboratory. The study showed the laboratory costs and one
