Mapusa fruit traders seek ripening facility

Mapusa: Fruit traders at Mapusa have demanded a ripening facility in the yard. Banana traders have primarily driven the demand, but mango and other fruit traders are also seeking access to the facility. A trader said there are seven ripening facilities in the Mapusa yard, where fruits can be ripened without using chemicals. They are, however, not sufficient.

He said the proposal for a bigger facility has been pending with authorities. Fruit traders are also feeling the heat owing to the ongoing drive of the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) against the use of chemicals for maturing fruits.

The traders said they were unaware of the fact that their mango consignment had chemicals. The FDA seized over a tonne of mangoes from Mapusa when it found chemicals were used to ripen the mangoes. He said additional facilities are needed, as traders from bordering towns of Maharashtra also purchase their stock from Mapusa.

Amey Natekar, former president of Mapusa yard, said that during his tenure, a detailed project report was prepared, with a provision for a ripening chamber of a 100-tonne capacity cold storage and other facilities. But due to financial constraints, the project did not become a reality.