Lucknow: With few takers in domestic markets and indifference of overseas buyers, the prices of Dussehri, known as king of all mangos, crashed in the wholesale markets of Uttar Pradesh.
The rate of Dussehri has been lowest in the local markets of UP compared to previous few years and at some places it is being sold cheaper than potato. With prices crashing every day the wholesale traders in the fruit belt of Kakori-Malihabad of UP have started dumping their Dussehri stock on the roadside. According to them, even the storage cost is higher than the rates they get in the market and thus discarding mangos is the only option.
Last week the average size Dussehri mango was sold for ₹10 per kilogram in the wholesale markets of UP which is lowest in recent years. According to the traders there have been very few orders from countries like Oman and Thailand this year. Usually the traders from these countries place good orders for Dussehri every season. According to traders the export this year was estimated between 100 to 150 tonnes overseas but the actual figures would be far less.
A mango grower with his wasted yield |
Traders not hopeful of good returns
According to them Dussehri dispatched to the markets of Delhi and Mumbai in good quantity, has not yielded good profit. The big size Dussehri has been sent to Mumbai and Delhi for ₹30-35 per kg while in the local market it is being sold for ₹20-25 per Kg. Now with barely a week left for the Dussehri season to end, the traders have little expectations for the rates to improve.
The promoter of world famous Nafees Nursery of Malihabad, Shabihul Hasan told FPJ that export was almost nil in the year 2020 and 2021 due to Covid while last the yield was adversely affected due to pest. The three years gap is too much for a seasonal crop like Dussehri to pick-up in the market again, he said. Besides, there is no direct flight to most of the countries from where the bulk order comes and this too has been hampering the prospects of export, informed Hasan. Giving an example of an order he received from Maldives, Shabihul Hasan said that he was forced to cancel it as there was a time gap in the connecting flight from Lucknow-Dubai-Maldives.
Heatwave positively affected mango production
The wholesale traders of Malihabad have been citing bumper production as one of the reasons behind the drop in rates. According to them, earlier the crop was expected to be poor due to bad weather but later on it improved due to the heatwave in May. Now the market is flooded with the Dussehri and very few takers.
UP produces around 45 lakh tonnes of mangoes every year. However, the production this year is expected to cross 50 lakh tonnes which is 15 per cent more than the previous year.
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