VIJAYAWADA: Mango-lovers in and around Vijayawada have to shell out more money this summer due to a decline in production of the fruit by around 40 per cent. Banginapalle mangoes are being sold at an exorbitant price of Rs 400 a dozen in the retail market at Kedareswarapeta, while Chinna Rasalu at Rs 300 a dozen. In erstwhile Krishna district, mangoes are grown in 54,085 hectares at Mylavaram, Reddigudem, Agiripalli, Nuzvid, Musunuru, Vissannapeta, Chatrai, Gampalagudem, A Konduru and Tiruvuru mandals. According to farmers in Nuzvid, prices shot up drastically due to unfavourable weather, resulting in low yield. One other factor was damages to orchards by insects and pests.
Banginapalle prices range between Rs 60,000 and Rs 70,000 per tonne in the market. While the Collector variety is at Rs 35,000 per tonne, Pedda Rasalu is around Rs 45,000 per tonne and Chinna Rasalu is Rs 30,000 per tonne.B Durga Prasad, a farmer from Adivinekkalam village said, “The flowering season starts between December and January. The fruits are harvested by March and sales begin in April and continue till May end. But this season, the flowering was delayed. In January, farmers spotted pest attack in orchards and spent around Rs 10,000 on pesticides, which didn’t yield any desired results. The yield dropped to 40 per cent.”
Another farmer G Rajibabu from Edara Village said that he had spent most of his investment on purchasing pesticides alone to protect his five acre orchard. Previously, 12 to 15 tonnes of mangoes were harvested per acre in my orchard. “Due to various reasons, the yield was confined to two to three tonnes,” he said.
M Jyothi, a home maker said that year-on-year the prices of mangoes are out reach of the common man. “Usually, the public, irrespective of age, prefer the king of fruit during the summer. With prices soaring, I have managed to purchase two dozen Chinna Rasalu for Rs 300 each a dozen,” she said.The pickle industry is also bearing the brunt of increased prices.
R Sumathi, who runs a pickle manufacturing unit in Guntur said, rasalu variety is used for high-quality pickles. “But the prices are so high compared to last season. It used to be Rs 10 per mango. Now, it is Rs 25. At this rate, our expenditure has doubled as the prices of oil and other ingredients have also increased,” she said.
Mango prices
Chinna Rasalu
Rs20-30/ fruit
Banginapalle
Rs 30-40/ fruit