Crates absent at Manning Market

Monday, 16 January 2012 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The amended crate law came into effect yesterday, but the Manning Market saw vegetables and fruits arriving mostly in sacks, rather than the mandated plastic ware. This lorry driver was one among many who used sacks for transport his vegetables.

Consumer Affairs Minister Johnston Fernando was forced to take a step back on his controversial law after the President intervened and traders negotiated a new set of vegetables and fruits that have to be transported in crates.

Instead of the universal crate, the traders obtained permission to transport vegetables in sacks if they are using smaller vehicles. They also changed the list of vegetables that need crates so that fewer vegetables and fruits fell under its mandate.

The vegetables that require plastic crates are bell peppers, bitter gourd, carrots, capsicum, cauliflower, cucumber, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, thibbatu and thumba karavila. The fruits are papaya, guava, avocado, pomegranate, grapes, pears, mangosteen, strawberries and passion fruit.

Police have not been given authority to arrest or detain lorries that do not follow the crate law this time around and Pettah traders remarked on the reduction of produce in crates at the market on Sunday. However, some crates were in view while some vegetables were wrapped in paper as a compromise.

Larger stocks of produce will arrive today to show whether the new laws are being followed and decide whether a new chapter will be opened in the plastic crates saga.