BAHRAIN’S biggest fruit and vegetables suppliers have united to deal with a ‘dumpster diving’ menace in the Manama Central Market ... and they may have found a way to cash in on the waste and help solve a farming headache over the cost of fertilisers.
The companies have each issued written declarations that they will work on ways to discourage the raiders and dismissed suggestions that their workers were involved in such ‘despicable and improper activities’.
This follows government investigations into the issue following a video circulating on social media showing bruised and rotten fruit being gathered out of bins by expatriates and resold.
Under new arrangements with the Capital Trustees Authority, rotten fruit and vegetables will be piled up close to each supplier’s property wrapped in nylon layers with stickers highlighting that they are unfit for human consumption.
Authority director-general Mohammed Saad Al Sehli told Capital Trustees Board members, during their meeting yesterday, that all suppliers were united in dealing with the dumpster diving debacle.
“Each supplier has issued a written declaration to the authority that they don’t encourage dumpster diving or the selling of unfit fruit and vegetables to the public,” said Mr Al Sehli, who did not name the companies.
Reputation
“They have all vowed to protect the market collectively from any outsiders that aim to tarnish their reputation as respected sellers.
“We have reached a deal with them that now they will wrap up rotten, damaged or unfit fruit and vegetables, covered in stickers, before cleaners collect them with a compressor.
“Most of the violations occur at the loading side of the market and not at the actual market, but that area will witness gates being erected and surveillance cameras and floodlights added. As a result, anyone planning to break the law will think twice.”
He said five Bahraini inspectors will be present at the market to ensure that there were no more violations and part of their duties would be to watch out for teams of dumpster divers.
“We are keeping a close watch on the situation and, in the case of the dumpster diving that occurred a few days back, we were not sure whether the men involved wanted to eat or sell the products they picked up,” he added.
“However, after investigations, we discovered they were all illegal workers.”
According to an official statement released, action has been taken against the men under the 1996 Occupancy of Public Roads Law.
Meanwhile, authority markets and properties’ department head Reem Bucheeri said that the time gap between dumping rotten fruit and vegetables and collecting them was when dumpster diving happened, which was now ‘non-existent’.
“When companies take out their piles of rotten fruit and vegetables, cleaners immediately will now lift them into compressing vehicles,” he said.
“We realise that one incident could lead to mass illnesses and to avoid that, we are taking a firm stand.”
Capital Trustees Board chairman Saleh Tarradah believes a new system should be introduced to turn rotten food into fertilisers, as already introduced in Europe.
“France has special vehicles that collect rotten food and process it into fertilisers instantaneously,” he said.
“It ensures that rotten fruit and vegetables are not wasted or reused by illegal vendors. We could have this tested here and then see how it progresses.”
Supply shortages fuelled by the Ukraine-Russia conflict, along with a host of pre-existing factors, have driven fertiliser prices to record highs.
mohammed@gdn.com.bh
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