Members of the Fruit Merchants’ Association on Sunday denied that they were indulging in artificial ripening of fruits with chemicals, especially calcium carbide.
They said sales registered a 70 per cent dip for the last few days following reports in media that calcium carbide was being used to ripen fruits. The High Court had also taken a serious note of the practice allegedly adopted by several traders and issued directions to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments to submit plans to curb the menace.
“We are not using any type of chemicals while importing fruits from other States. As and when stocks arrive in the market, we sell to the retailers and other customers,” association secretary S. Veera Venkatesam said at a press conference at the Kedareswarapet market here.
According to him, apples arrive from Himachal Pradesh, pomegranate from Maharashtra, black grapes from Karnataka, pineapple from Kerala and citrus from different places in Andhra Pradesh.
“If we try to ripen apples, grapes, pineapple and citrus with carbide, the fruits will become rotten and they are not advisable for sale. Thus, there is no need for us to use chemicals,” association member V.V. Kumar.
If we try to ripen apples, grapes, pineapple and citrus with carbide, the fruits will become rotten. Thus, there is no need for us to use chemicals
