ISLAMABAD, Sept 20: Traders in the city’s huge Fruit and Vegetable Market (FVM) are using cold storage facilities for enhancing their profits rather than preserving their commodities.

Market sources and local authorities told Dawn that the traders had hoarded fruits and vegetables in the cold storages with their eyes on the greater demand for them during Ramazan.

They were using not only the established cold storages for the purpose but also the big refrigerated containers bringing out-of-season fruits and vegetables imported from India and China. These containers can be seen parked away from the FVM in Sector F-11 and not being unloaded.

“They (the traders) are in no hurry to sell even when the demand is high. They can keep their fruit and vegetable cargoes in the containers for several days and in the cold storages for many months and wait (for prices to rise further),” the sources said.

This misuse of legitimate facilities for illegitimate profits is said to be the main factor in sending prices of the greens sky high - not just in Islamabad but most of the northern half of the country.

Islamabad’s FVM reportedly caters to the needs of green markets from Gujranwala up to Northern Areas. “When prices rise in the FVM, they rise in half of Pakistan,” said one fruit trader.

“It is a very profitable business. A dealer in fruits and vegetables can earn over Rs10 million in one season spread over two to three months,” he said.

And how the authorities propose to counter this cold logic of hoarding by the profiteers - by bringing out a law from their cold storage.

When contacted, Islamabad’s Deputy Commissioner Chaudhry Mohammad Ali said the local administration had decided to take strict action against fruits and vegetables dealers under Price Control Act.

“Keeping goods in cold storage is a form of hoarding and we would never allow such dealers to take advantage of Ramazan and create artificial shortage of fruits and vegetables to earn unreasonable profit,” he said.

The official said he had directed magistrates to impound loaded trucks of imported fruits and vegetables found in their area and initiate criminal proceedings against the importers.

Similarly he ordered his subordinates to conduct raids on all cold storage centres to ensure supply of stored items in the markets.

It seems his threats and directives have worked as more supplies arrived in the FVM and prices eased too on Thursday. But for how long, it is yet to be seen.

Deputy Commissioner Ali insisted that fruits and vegetables hoarded in cold storages must be brought into the market to bring the prices down further.