Sri Lanka's vegetable delivery techniques, waste and new laws

(February 02, 2011) Sri Lanka media reports that President Mahinda Rajapaksa has directed the officials to acquire 400,000 plastic crates to be released to the market so that the vegetable transporters can use them in safe delivery of vegetables.

The government has banned the use of gunny bags and other ad hoc packaging in delivery of vegetables and the use of crates has been made compulsory since February 01.

The authorities say that 20% of the harvest is wasted while being transported using improper delivery techniques. The aim of the move of the government is to prevent the waste of vegetable harvest while being transported to the markets. The government says that the waste of vegetable causes the increase of prices at the market.

However, some vegetable traders say that the trucks loaded with plastic crates can transport less weight of vegetables and the prices will further escalate with the making of using plastic crates compulsory in vegetable delivery.

They show the need of especially manufactured crates to transport different kinds of vegetables. The daily need of crates for the vegetable traders is 150,000, says the traders’ organization. However, the government failed to guarantee the supplies of crates before the ban on gunny bags was imposed.
Yesterday, the vegetable traders of Nuwaraeliya Economic Center boycotted supply of vegetables to Colombo in protest of the government action.

Posted in fruit and vegetable exporters , plastic crates , transport , wastage