Indore (Madhya Pradesh)
Mangoes are no longer the low-hanging fruit they once used to be. The mango season is here once again, but unfortunately, this seasonal fruit is now beyond the common man's reach. Called the king of fruits, the price of mangoes justifies its billing. The cheapest mangoes range from Rs 120- 150 per kg in the retail market, while in the mandi they are sold at anywhere between Rs 60-70 per kg.
“The price of mangoes is likely to be high this year as the supply has decreased to half of what it used to be in the past years” Aakash Prajapat, mandi fruit vendor said.
Radhe Gambar, a fruit vendor informed Free Press that this year the number of trucks supplying the fruit every day is around 24, while in previous years 55-60 trucks used to bring mangoes to the city. The reason behind the shortage in supply is due to late and heavy rainfall in regions of Andhra Pradesh and adverse weather conditions in Maharashtra, which are the prime states that supply mangoes to the city.
Akhilesh Yadav, yet another vendor said, “ Mangoes from Ratnagiri and Deogarh are expensive as they are of the best quality. Supply of Hapus has also decreased.”
“Many varieties like Badami, Kesari, and Langda, have not entered the market as yet, moreover the quality of the fruits this year is not up to the mark. The only variety available till now is Hapus which is the least expensive of all the varieties, ranging between 100-120 per kg”, said Uma Solanki, a fruit vendor.
Minimal profits to juice sellers this season!
Fruits this season are unexpectedly more expensive than usual, as a result, fruit juice sellers are having a difficult time managing their business. “Cost of mangoes, bananas, oranges, sweet lime, and many others is increasing rapidly, and people prefer to quench their thirst with the juices of these fruits\vegetable in summer. The profit we are making is negligible and if we increase the price, many people won't be able to afford it," said Sugreev, a fruit juice seller.
Mango Jatra: Beyond the reach of common man
The mango Jatra commenced in the city today. There are more than 50 plus varieties of mangoes coming from all over the country including Ratnagiri and Deoghar. Around 500 vendors from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh have come to sell the best quality mangoes in the city. But with prices ranging from 300 to 1200 per dozen, this fair is not affordable for the common public.
Prices of seasonal vegetables are at their peak
Along with the fruits, this season, the vegetable prices are at their highest level. Prices of many of the seasonal vegetables such as bottle guard, tomatoes, lemon, and others have hiked beyond the imagination of locals.
“The price of tomatoes in the mandi is between 1200-1500 per crate, and therefore we have to sell these at higher prices in the local bazaar. People bargain a lot but the fact is that prices in mandi are increasing due to adverse climate conditions in the past year, and the supply has also decreased.”, said, Aasha Pare, a local vegetable vendor.
