Kinnow fruit growers, traders demand abolition of market fee

Our Correspondent

Abohar, October 1

Growers and traders demanded abolition of market fee on kinnow and malta fruit at the new grain market complex here.

A charter of demands was presented through SDM Poonam Singh on Monday. They opined that Punjab Agro Juices Limited (PAJL) had last year received an export order of 200 MT fresh kinnow from the United Arab Emirates and there was a need to make more efforts to get more orders this season from the UAE and other countries. If everything was streamlined, the integration of fruit and vegetable production with their processing would not only add value to the crops of farmers, but also open up big employment opportunities in the state.

Currently, market fee is being charged at 2 per cent on the wholesale price of fruit and vegetables in the mandis of state. In December, 2012, the government had promised to waive it but the final decision was awaited.

Fruit growers and businessmen said the PAJL should make the fruit and vegetable plant functional in Alamgarh village. It was initially inaugurated by the then Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and re-inaugurated by the then Union Minister for Food Processing, Subodh Kant Sahai, and the then Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, on October 1, 2007. The plant could not meet the target of processing because of the Punjab government’s “lacklustre” approach.

The SDM assured them to forward the demands to the government and instructed officials of both Market Committee and Horticulture Department to ensure a healthy environment in the Kinnow mandi here.

Malta grown by Vinod Kamboj got a price of Rs 39 per kg and kinnow grown by Sarwan Jakhar was offered a price of Rs 15 for each kg.