Those with vested interests behind farmer agitation:

Fruits and vegetables aplenty

By L.S. Ananda WEDAARACHCHI

The regulation making it mandatory for vegetable traders to use plastic crates to transport vegetables was for the benefit of farmers and consumers", said Secretary Internal Trade and Cooperative Development Sunil Sirisena.

He said between Rs. 12 - 15 billion of national income is being lost annually due to the waste of local vegetable production during the vegetable transportation.

he said the Post Harvest Institute and research teams had revealed that over 35 percent of the vegetable production of the country go waste during the transportation from farmgate to the market. As a result farmers did not get the real value for their produce. On the other hand, consumers had to pay higher prices for vegetables under the circumstances the vegetable vendor controls the market earning unreasonable profits, he said.

The Secretary said, farmers, vegetable sellers Economic Centres and all sections related to the vegetable trade were informed by the government of the decision of plastic crate practice three months ago. Agriculture Ministry wanted to implement the system four years ago and 180,000 plastic crates were given to farmers free of charge.

Although the farmers wanted to use plastic crates, transporters and vendors had discouraged them, he said.

Although the decision was to improve the law from December 1, the Internal Trade Minister had given time till last Sunday, December 11, where the Consumer Authority nabbed 44 lorries transporting vegetables in gunnies and poly bags.

The following day, December 12, 16 lorries were checked and only 4 lorries carried vegetables in sacks. It shows that the vegetable transporters have realized the importance of the government decision, he said.

The allegations made against the plastic crate rule is totally wrong. The government has given sufficient time. The deadline for the implementation of the decision was postponed four times. The plastic crates are freely available at Economic Centres and credit facilities were also offered.

A sack which cost Rs.60 can be used only once, but plastic crates can be used for more than 5 - 6 years. After unloading the vegetables, lorries can transport other items inside the lorries since the plastic crates which can be packed one on top of the other on the roof of the lorries. All police stations were informed by the IGP to allow lorries to transport plastic crates on the roof of the lorries, he said.

the Secretary said, according to intelligence reports a poly sack trader and people who had vested interests were behind the agitations in Dambulla and Tambuttegama "We are willing to meet the representatives from farmer organisations or any other organisations.

The Sathosa - Super market network, Sathosa and Cooperative movement have come forward to assist in the implementation of the plastic crate project.

The Cooperative movement which has 8 million members and the islandwide Cooperative Society network already have informed that they take necessary measures for the benefits of consumers for the forth coming Christmas and New year season, the Secretary said.

The Secretary said the issues which are of national importance cannot be postponed. Those should be addressed and solutions implemented without petty short sighted protests.

the Supplies Manager Cargills Food City super market network Ranjith Upali said a systematic purchasing and distribution system is being implemented by the company using plastic crates.

We have seen this post harvest problem of improper handling and post harvest damage even ten years ago. The perishable items such as vegetables and fruits should not be transported in gunny bags or poly sacks.

They should be transported in plastic crates, he said.

He said they have a fleet of freezer trucks exclusively to collect and distribute vegetables from growers. Nine vegetable collecting centres namely, Nuwara Eliya, Bandarawela, Tambuttegama, Tanamalvila, Norochcholai, Moneragala, Hanguranketa, Jaffna and Wattala have been set up to collect the farmer produce islandwide.

Farmers are very cooperative with us since we look after them very well and give them the best market prices for their produce.

They use plastic crates to deliver the produce since the freezer trucks with plastic crates are being used to deliver the vegetables for over 175 food city branches, the marketing operation of the company is highly successful.

It helps to maintain the lowest prices for vegetables in the market at Food city branches, he said.

He said the collection and distribution as well as sales should be organised with a proper coordination to avoid waste of vegetables during the delivery or transportation.