Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. led the inauguration of the first-ever Mobile Plant Food Safety Laboratory of the Bureau of Plant Industry on April 11, 2024.

According to the Agri Chief, the DA is committed to ensure that food consumed by Filipinos are safe. As such, the agency is open to adopting new ideas and technology in pursuit of that goal.

The P20-million mobile lab will help ensure that food consumed by Filipinos are clean and safe. It has a modular set-up that could accommodate rapid screening and testing for pesticide residue, heavy metals and microbiological contaminants from 20 to 30 samples per day at an affordable cost. ### (photos by Ardy Tompong, DA-AFID)