“We need a festival of dates in Madinah as the harvests are expected to be excellent. It will, undoubtedly, be a resounding success as the superior varieties of dates of the region are in high demand internationally,” Yusuf Ali Awaja, one of oldest hereditary trader of dates in Madinah, told Arab News.

Awaja said he and other traders were willing to offer all their support to organize the suggested festival.

Meanwhile, Awaja expressed his unhappiness with the facilities at the new market building on Ring Road. The new market was opened after the centuries old market was demolished as part of the expansion of the Prophet’s Mosque two years ago.

Lack of  space was the major problem in the new market building.

“Both the traders and farmers who bring their products to the market find it extremely hard to conduct their business in the limited space. They cannot display their products properly while the transactions have to continue from morning to evening,” he said, underscoring the significance of displaying fresh or dry dates of different varieties so that buyers can be convinced of their quality.

Another serious issue was the limited space at the parking lot. Besides needing space for customers’ vehicles, the farmers needed open space for unloading and the buyers for loading the products. The limited parking space frequently leads to violent fights between farmers and buyers.

Many of the farmers had to unload their products on the public road inviting penal measures from traffic police, he said.

He also complained that 16x6 sq. meter space available to stock the product was not at all sufficient. The paucity of space cramped all in the market.

He warned that the space problem would be more acute this year because of the expected excellent harvest. And this could lead to more complications, between farmers and buyers.

“The harvest season started weeks ago and the price of SR20 per kg for the Rothana variety is good,” he said.

While expressing his discontentment on the availability of space, or the lack of it, Awaja mounted a fierce defense of the traders, brokers and agents.  He denied the common charge leveled against traders and middlemen that they exploited the farmers and padded their profits.

“On the other contrary, we help the farmers, especially those who do not have the necessary capital, to install irrigation facilities,  buy fuel, fertilizers and pesticides,” he said.

“Moreover, many farmers transport their harvests directly to markets in Makkah and Jeddah with the help of traders,” another trader Wasl Al-Raddadi said, while supporting Awaja’s contention that the traders extended every assistance to the farmers.