Members of the Fruit Merchants Association downed their shutters on Thursday protesting against raids being conducted by officials. The traders alleged a malicious campaign was being carried out against the fruit vendors. It has badly impacted the business, according to Sheik Moulali, president of the association.
Mr. Moulali said that fruit vendors do not use calcium carbide to ripen fruits. It was a false notion. Fruits such as apple, grapes, pineapple and pomegranate get damaged if the carbide was used. The merchants sell Washington apple, grapes and imported oranges etc. FSSAI officials issue safe certificates to the fruit. Grapes turn into black colour even if there was little rise in temperature. The grape merchants ensure that they don’t keep their stocks near other fruit such as mango that are ripened using carbide. In fact, the mango merchants were not there at Kedareswarapeta market right now. The mango market was shifted to Nunna long ago, he said.
Association general secretary Narni Chiranjeevi Rao said that mango crop was ready for harvesting. The season would begin shortly. The government should suggest some ways and means as the carbide was banned, he added.
