VIJAYAWADA: In what comes as a major relief for mango farmers as well as buyers, full-fledged trading activity is likely to resume after March 10 at Nunna market, one of Asia’s largest wholesale fruit markets, amid strict Covid-19 protocol. Usually, the mango trading at the market commences before Ugadi festival, which falls in April.
However, this season, the trading activity is all set to begin early. Due to early yield, mangoes have already been exported to other States. In Krishna district, mangoes were grown in 54,085 hectares in orchards of Mylavaram, Reddigudem, Agiripalli, Nuzvid, Musunuru, Vissannapeta, Chatrai, Gampalagudem, A Konduru and Tiruvuru mandals.
This year, the horticulture department is expecting a yield of around 4.5 lakh metric tonnes. Totapuri mangoes, grown in Vissannapeta, were exported to Mumbai in the last week of January. This variety of mango was priced at `80,000 per tonne.
Nunna mango market has 84 stalls and the mango farmers from various parts of the district bring their produce, including varieties such as Totapuri and Banginapalli, to export the same to Maharashtra, Rajasthan, UP, Madhya Pradesh and New Delhi.
However, in the past few years the significance of mango trading activity at the Nunna market has gradually reduced ever since local markets came up in Mylavaram, Tiruvuru, Nuzvid, Vissannapeta and other places.
Traders develop contacts with those at mandis and directly purchase mangoes from them. Taking a serious note of the matter, the horticulture officials have decided to convene a meeting with the mango growers and traders to resume the business at the Nunna market as earlier.
“Recently, around 12 tonnes of Banginapalli mangoes, grown in the orchards of Reddigudem, Edara and Koduru villages, were sent to New Delhi through trucks. The fruit is priced at `70,000 per tonne,” said Horticulture Assistant Director Ch Srinivasulu.