Air transport is increasingly used to transport fruit and vegetables to other countries where they cannot be grown or are out of season. Some people say this is good but others believe the use of air transport for this purpose is not justified. Discuss both views and give your opinion

shipment

Suggestion

Shipment

of

fruit

and vegetables by

air

, to places where they are unavailable is on the rise. Some people believe that

this

is a positive development. Whereas, others find no justification for

this

mode of

transport

.

This

essay will discuss both points of view and I shall argue that handling of aeroplanes for the transportation of fresh items is justified. On the one hand, there are those who don’t support

transit

Suggestion

the transit

of fruits and vegetables by

air

and they have their reasons.

To begin

, usage of

air

transportation will increase prices of fresh items. Since additional costs will be incurred on jet fuel and customs, it will drive the overall price of exotic

fruit

and vegetables.

On the contrary

, locally harvested items are more cost effective.

For instance

, locally produced apples value around 150 rupees per KG and imported ones are worth twice as much.

Such

a high cost excludes the majority of the population from buying them.

Moreover

, introduction of exotic produce and vegetables adversely affects local small scale farmers. These farmers work all year to harvest and market items, but the availability of rare and out of period items increase the competition and reduce the earning potential.

For example

, in supermarkets, one can find oneself almost spoiled by the extravagant choice of

fruit

and vegetables. Those who can afford to buy generally prefer to choose the ones which are either out of season or exotic. Resultantly, the sale of the items drop.

On the other hand

, there are those who support the use of

air

transport

for

fruit

and vegetables and I agree with them because of its clear advantages.

Firstly

, Consumers get more options to choose from. Due to

transport

by aeroplanes even those items which perish easily or are out of season can be made available in distant areas.

As a result

, consumers can choose from a wide range of options depending upon the requirement and affordability. Take,

for example

, Metro Cash and Carry, a superstore where one can find

fruit

and vegetables ranging from winter to summer season.

This

is very helpful for those who prefer certain types of fresh items.

Secondly

, it creates healthy competition, which in turn proves beneficial for the local industry. The use of

air

transport

, brings with it not only more variety of nut and vegetables, but

also

new ways to

transport

, package and store these items which may be novel for local producers. In the long-run, the resulting competition will encourage local farmers to learn the techniques to better store or package their produce so they too could sell in other parts of the World.

For instance

, Pakistan has arguably the best mangoes in the World but it does not enjoy the status of major mango exporter because local farmers are not aware of advances transportation, packaging and marketing techniques. In conclusion, it is evident that the availability of a broad range of

fruit

and vegetables and introduction of novel methods of their packaging and storage justifies the

transport

of fresh items by

air

. It is recommended that the government should help small scale farmers in setting up their storage facilities so that they could increase their income as well.