Customers shun sale of leftovers at Manama Central Market

TDT | Manama             

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Reported by Zahra Ayaz

The sale of fruits and vegetables that are leftover from previous days at the Manama Central Market is driving locals away and towards supermarkets, say customers. However, vendors say inadequate cleaning of the market makes customers doubt the freshness of the produce.

Many were unhappy with the quality of the fruits and vegetables at the market, and they alleged that the vendors were hoarding the leftovers to sell the following day. Despite several news articles appearing on initiatives to curb the practise, nothing has changed on the ground level, they added.

Mohammed Danish, who was a regular customer, said, "My family and I used to go to the Central Market every Friday morning to buy vegetables, but I’ve since stopped because they have started selling leftovers.

These sellers purchase large quantities, store them for days, and then sell them. Poor sanitation, the presence of rodents, the bad smell prevailing in the area, and the ineffective air conditioning during a hot Summer season are also preventing customers from choosing the Central Market, he added.

Bincy Vibhu, another resident, told The Daily Tribune that the problems resulting in a poor customer experience at the Central Market are increasing. "We have shifted from buying from local markets to supermarkets because of the difference in quality. Although the price is a bit high, our health matters," she said.

When The Daily Tribune inquired with the sellers about the issues faced by the customers, they said they are being forced to rent storerooms outside the market to keep the vegetables and fruits safe out of fear of rodent attacks.

"We are at a huge loss because of the rodent infestation and lack of hygiene," said Ashkar, a seller at the Central Market. "The market closes every day at 4 p.m. and opens around 2 a.m. the next day, and during these hours, it is under the rule of rodents, with hundreds of them digging holes into sacks of fruits and vegetables," he explained. Initiatives to clean the market on a regular basis have weakened over time, Ashkar said.

"Earlier, regular cleaning activities were carried out twice a week at the market. Now they are doing it only once a week. The authorities should immediately carry out an operation to clean the market," he stated, adding that the lack of cleanliness at the market is also making the customers doubt the freshness of the fruits and vegetables.