Vast majority of fruits being ripened artificially in city

Surat: Many fruit traders have resorted to artificial ripening of mangoes, watermelons and muskmelons to meet the ever rising demand for them by the consumers in the summer season. The fruit traders are using calcium carbide for mangoes and sugar syrup for watermelons and muskmelons, putting people 's lives at risk, official sources said. At least 50 per cent of 200 tonnes of fruits arriving in the city daily have been prematurely plucked and ripened artificially, market sources said.
Sanjay Nayak, a farmer from Gandeva village of Navsari district, said, “If it is normal season, I start bringing my mangoes to Surat for sale by first week of May and this continues until June. This season, mangoes have not ripened yet. They are not good for plucking until May 20. Sale of mangoes from my orchard having 1,400 trees can start only after.”
Every year from the beginning of May, at least 15 trucks of farmers from nearby villages arrive daily in the city carrying mangoes. Ramchowk in Athwa becomes mango market during the season. This year hardly one truck is coming with mangoes.
Disha Patel, a resident of Manekpore near Navsari, who comes with her truck laden with mangoes to the city, said, “Crop is not even 50 per cent normal this season. But because our clients want this fruit, we have no option but to bring it to the city irrespective of their condition.”
An officer of food and safety department, Surat Municipal Corporation, said, “We have started conducting raids to seize fruits that have been artificially ripened. Many people know that the fruits have been artificially ripened yet they go for them giving boost to the unethical practice by the traders. It is waste of money because such fruits neither have taste nor nutrition value. They are plain health risk. We had destroyed more than 3,000 kgs of such fruits in the past two days.”