Navi Mumbai: Demand for juicy fruits pushes up prices

With the rise in temperature, the demand for fruits like watermelon has shot up. This has also resulted in a price rise. The water enriched fruit which was available around Rs 15 to Rs 18 per kg is now being sold over Rs 25 per kg.

Traders say that there is a three to four times rise in demand and due to this, the price has risen.

Mumbai receives watermelon from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. Currently, 100 to 150 trucks laden with watermelon are arriving in the market.

According to the traders, the supply will increase in days to come and it will reach 200 trucks by the end of the month.

At present, the market is receiving 'sugar baby' and 'Namdhari' watermelon. The demand for 'sugar baby' is very high.

Grape inflows low

Similarly, this is also the season of grapes. Around 15 to 20 vehicles laden with grapes are arriving in the market. While the normal grapes are available around Rs 600 to Rs 800 per 10 kg, the black grapes costs Rs 700 to Rs 900. However, the arrival of grapes has declined over the last few years. Traders say this is due to the deregulation of agricultural commodities as well as declining production due to unseasonal rains.