Toxic vegetables deal blow to region's goal

China's southernmost Hainan province has suffered a setback in its ambition to become a national vegetable supplier after traces of a highly toxic pesticide were found in vegetables grown in the province and sold in other regions.

A total of 3.5 tons of cowpeas from Hainan have been destroyed in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei province, after sample tests carried out in two markets in the city showed that the cowpeas were tainted with a highly toxic pesticide named Isocarbophos, said a statement published on the website of the city's agriculture bureau late Monday.

The pesticide has been banned in the country from being used on plants such as vegetables, fruits, tea and tobacco.