VISAKHAPATNAM: Ahead of the Ugadi festivity, skyrocketing prices of fruits and ingredients of pachchadi are burning holes in the pockets of citizens.
Poorna Market was a beehive of activities on Monday as loads of fresh mango leaves, flowers, neem flowers, sugarcane and other traditional items arrived. However, the prices of fruits including oranges, sweet lime and pomegranate saw a jump of 20 to 40 per cent when compared to the same last week.
Fruit vendors blame it on the rise in temperature."I have hardly done any business in the last two days as people stay indoor in the day owing to scorching heat. Given the perishability of fruits, I have incurred losses. Oranges that I procured last week have rotted.
With the prices going up, consumers too are bargaining a lot. I hope to make some money in the days ahead of the festival,” said Savitri, a fruit vendor at Poorna market while sorting out the good oranges from those that have gone bad on a sultry afternoon on Monday.
The prices of sugarcane, used in Ugadi pachchadi, has also seen a jump.
In the wholesale market, the Anakapalle variety is being sold at Rs 30 and the Kerala variety at Rs 40. “With a day left for the festival, we hope that the sales will go up.
Since the prices have increased, the sales dipped last week,” said Kanaka Rao, a wholesaler. Presently, four small pieces of sugarcane are being sold at Rs 10-20 in the retail market.”
The prices of neem flowers, one of the main ingredients in the Ugadi pachhadi, and bananas is expected to increase during these two days due to increase in demand, said Satya Babu, a fruit supplier in the city. “The prices of fruits are expected to increase during the first week of April with the mercury soaring high,” he said.
Customers are forced to loosen their purse strings, saying that it is the question of festival after all.
“The prices have been doubled when compared to last week. But, for the occasion of Ugadi, I have no choice but to shell out more,” said Sushanth N, a customers at the Poorna Market.