Make ethylene cheaper than calcium carbide

In general, fruits become sweeter, less green, and softer as they ripen naturally. For export or for marketing in bulk, often fruits have to be picked long before they are ripened. The reason is that once they are ripened they go rotten quickly before even they are shipped. So, ethylene is used worldwide for ripening fruits, which is proven to be almost harmless to human body and it does not spoil the taste of the fruits.
However, it has been found that unscrupulous businessmen in Bangladesh use calcium carbide for ripening instead of ethylene, since the latter is costlier. Just to save a few bucks, these businessmen are using calcium carbide knowing very well that it is hazardous to our health. I would suggest that the government should withdraw all kind of taxes on importing ethylene so that it can become cheaper than calcium carbide. If necessary, government should subsidise it for the sake of public health.
Dr. Kamrul Hassan
Professor
Department of Physics
Dhaka University