VIJAYAWADA:Believe it or not! A dozen mangoes of ‘Chinna Rasalu’ variety costs as high as Rs 350 - Rs 400, that too in this city that is well known for the king of fruit.
‘Chinna Rasulu’, which arrived in the market last week, are priced so high that common people find them unaffordable. Incidentally, the number of shops selling them too has come down due to the lesser yield of the fruit this year. Even the available fruit has suffered some damage in the recent hailstorms that wreaked havoc across the state.
Last year, ‘Chinna Rasalu’, which arrived in the market ahead of all other varieties like ‘Pedda Rasalu’, ‘Cheruku Rasalu’ and ‘Banginipalle’, were sold at half the price they are being sold today.
“Depending on the quality, we are selling the fruit at Rs 100 to Rs 250 a dozen on an average,” K Nancharaiah, a fruit vendor at Kedareswarapeta market, said.
Even as he was explaining the dynamics of the mango market, two women were expressing dismay at the cost of the fruit, while arguing over the price. They were offered the best looking mangoes at Rs 350 a dozen in a neighbouring shop. “Till a couple of days back, the top quality fruit was sold at Rs 400 a dozen. Now, it has come down a bit,” said a young fruit-seller, wishing not to be named.
The wholesale merchants procure mangoes from the mango gardens in Nuzvid, Mylavaram, Shobanagarm, Vissannapeta and other nearby areas. “There has been a drop in the fruit output due to the recent hailstorms. The supply has decreased while the demand is more, making the fruit even dearer,” Nancharaiah said.
When it comes to ‘Banginapalli’ variety of mango, the region is famous for, the yield is low this year and almost the entire quantity of this variety of mango that arrives at the Nunna Mango Market is being exported to Delhi, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
“Now the Banginapalli mango is going at Rs 18,000 to Rs 35,000 a tonne, while the maximum price for the number one variety of the fruit was Rs 20,000 per tonne last year.
Today in the wholesale market in the city a dozen Banginapalle of good quality costs anywhere between Rs 200 to Rs 350,” L Srinivas Rao, a transporter of mangoes, said.
He said normally by this time of the year, he used to be busy loading and unloading 25 to 30 trucks on an average a day. But today, he could only transport two truckloads before calling it a day, he added.