Special goods trains will be operated to transport large stocks perishable goods like fruits and vegetables from far away aggri producing areas to other areas in the country by train during Covid -19 curfew periods in Sri Lanka.
Transport Minister Mahinda Amraweera has issued this directive to the Department of Railways to make arrangements towards this end.
This decision was disclosed by the Ministry of Passenger Transport Management today
Deploying trains to transport perishable goods could minimise damage to produce while moving as compared with that from haulage over rough roads and costs are lower than transport by road.
Rail transport, however, requires extra handling since road transport is needed to and from the rail journey; transport by road alone usually is a door-to-door service.
This proposal was made firs recently by the Chairman of the All Ceylon Peasants Federation, Namal Karunaratnecalling on government to get the services of the Railway Department to distribute the agriculture produce of the farmers.
He presented this solution on behalf of farmers who had been struck by a double whammy – due to the decision to shut down economic centres and the inability to sell produce at a good price.
The government closed down economic centres to prevent public gatherings and to curb the spread of COVID –19.
As a result, farmers who could sell their produce at economic centres, mainly targeting wholesalers, have resorted to selling their goods on road sides and at public playgrounds.
He said that farmers complain that produce is purchased at extremely low rates from them, and later sold at exorbitant prices in the market.
“Vegetables are purchased at around Rs 15 per kilo and are being sold at five times this rate in other parts of the country,” he said.
(LI)