KARACHI, Sept 6: Fruit and vegetable processors and exporters express reservations over Rs4.3 billion project of the Sindh ministry of agriculture, which envisages establishment of two modern fruit and vegetable markets around Karachi and one at Hyderabad.

President of All-Pakistan Fruits and Vegetable Processors and Exporters Association Abdul Wahid told Dawn on Thursday that the association had proposed that instead of allotting space for over 2,000 shops and platforms in one market, it should only allow 600-700 big shops equipped with refrigeration facility.

He said over 1,000 trucks bring vegetable and fruits daily from the interior and Balochistan to the market, which is sold at open platforms but quantities are wasted due to lack of refrigeration.

The association said the ministry should follow the designs adopted by the Dubai Vegetable Market where each shop has a cold storage. Mistakes made in the setting of vegetable market on Superhighway should not be repeated, he added.

Commenting on the objection raised by the fruit and vegetable processors, a ministry spokesman said the main objective behind the new vegetable markets was to provide a chance to small vendors and retailers, who could not afford to book a commercial shop hence provision for a large number of open platforms has been made at the new markets to be set up at Northern Bypass in Karachi, Ghakkar Phatak on National Highway and at Qasimabad in Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, director of projects at the ministry told Dawn that apart from three vegetable markets three cold storages have been planned to help growers conserve their produce.

These will be built at a cost of Rs3,491.58 million.

He said the ministry would only develop infrastructure such as roads, utilities, sewerage, water etc for markets while shops, banks, restaurants and other buildings would be constructed by the allottees as per the design suggested by the ministry.

Plots in these markets would be allotted on no-profit and no loss basis. The plot rates for Northern Bypass market is Rs645 per sq ft; Ghakkar Phatak market Rs900 per sq ft and Qasimabad market Rs1,000 per sq ft.

There will be 1,876 platforms and 183 shops in the Karachi market; 1,876 platforms and 193 shops at Ghakkar Phatak market and 927 platforms and 204 shops at the Hyderabad market. The cost of the Karachi market is Rs1.39 billion; Ghakkar Phatak market Rs993.8 million and Hyderabad market Rs1.96 billion

The sale of fruits and vegetable has become a lucrative business these days after manifold increase in prices of the green stuff. The ministry hopes to receive a large number of applications, especially for open platforms which will be allotted through a computer draw.