Haho over vegetable transportation

Vegetable traders in Nuwara Eliya last week protested against the new government ruling on vegetable transportation. Traders and the workers of the Nuwara Eliya Economic Centre staged a protest when Minister Arumugam Thondaman and the Governor of the Central Province Tikiri Kobbekaduwa met them to defuse the strikers. The government has banned the use of gunny bags and other adhoc packaging in the delivery of vegetables and the use of crates has been made compulsory from February 1.

The traders said that this new regulation will increase the transportation cost of vegetables by more than double. However, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs said that the post harvest loss in transportation and handling is over 40 percent and therefore the cost saving will be enough to offset the increase in transport cost.

R.M.Nalaka, a trader at the Colombo Manning Market said that only half of the quantity of what they transport in a lorry load at present using sacks can be packed into lorry using plastic baskets. On the other hand the lorries transporting vegetables to Colombo transport fertilizer or other commodities on their return and if baskets are used the lorries will have to carry empty baskets resulting in a loss of income to transporters. This will discourage transporters and they may charge a higher fare for transportation and finally that cost too will have to be passed onto the consumer.

He said that the government decision cannot be implemented overnight and the Consumer Affairs Ministry does not understand real issues of this trade. Already consumers are suffering due to shortage of vegetables and this kind of adhoc decisions may interrupt the smooth functioning of business.

He also pointed out that this rule need not apply to vegetables such as carrots and potatoes and it could have been applied stage by stage beginning with perishable items like leeks. The farmers and traders had started using baskets to transport tomatoes long years ago without government ruling.

(GW)