PM ensures fruits and vegetables’ high quality, fair prices in Ramadan

AMMAN — Prime Minister Hani Mulki on Wednesday stressed that the government is committed to ensuring high quality and suitable prices of fruits and vegetables for consumers, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During a visit to the central green market of Amman, Mulki said that Jordanian agricultural produce provided to domestic markets are of high quality and have reached several international markets, noting the importance of preserving these features.

He asserted that prices during the approaching Muslim fasting month of Ramadan  will remain within the “normal” rates of the rest of the year, thanks to the “affecting prices mechanism” adopted by the government through the Civil and Army Consumer Corporations, which will also ensure the quality of the commodities.

The premier affirmed that the government will not allow any practices of monopoly or price rising, which affect both farmers and consumers.

He said that the government will provide a laboratory and modern devices to test the quality of produce at markets, instead of sending samples to the Agriculture Ministry’s labs, a process which will enhance the safety and quality of the produce.

Mulki said that there are no current decisions to move the market, unless adequate studies are conducted, and stressed the government’s seriousness to allow only Jordanians to work at the market.

For his part, Agriculture Minister Kahled Hneifat said that the ministry works on monitoring the safety and quality of produce at the market, including the produce to be exported or sold locally.

He noted that the ministry has conducted a survey on pesticides and banned a number of them.