Nearly 390.000 metric tones of vegetables and fruits go waste annually due to packaging and transportation and in rupee terms it amounts to Rs. 14 million going waste, said Institute of Post Harvest Technology Director Dulasiri Fernando.

Of the total production 1.2 million metric tones of fruits and vegetables nearly 30 to 40 per cent go waste, Fernando told a press conference held yesterday at the Ministry of Co-operatives in Colombo.

He said that of the waste, 75 per cent could be prevented by proper packaging. Thus, they are promoting plastic containers after taking examples from other countries.

He said that unlike gunnies that could be used only twice, plastic containers could be used upto 250 times. "And these plastic containers could also be recycled," he added.

Co-operatives Minister Bandula Gunawardena said that plans are afoot to commence a wholesale vegetable and fruit sales operation where dealing will be done exclusively in plastic containers starting from Thursday, July 30 at the Narahenpita Economic Centre.

He said trade activities would be held only between 3.00 a.m. and 6.00 a.m at the Centre. He said most of the top hotels and government institutions prefer to have their vegetables and fruits supplied in plastic containers.

Gunawardena said the Government is promoting plastic containers to cut down waste and also to provide benefits to the farmers. He said to date they had sold 72,000 plastic containers, almost at the half the rate to farmers.

He said a plastic container which is sold at a market price of Rs. 1,380 is given at retail prices ranging from Rs. 690, Rs. 780, Rs. 385, Rs. 630, and at Rs. 315.