KENDRAPARA: With just a week to go for Savitri Brata, fruit prices have soared in the district as the cyclonic storm Fani uprooted hundreds of mango, jackfruit, banana, coconut and other fruit-bearing trees.
Traders blame Fani for the limited supply of fruits and nearly 100 per cent rise in their prices this season. “Unlike previous years, there are fewer fruits in the market,” said Basant Sahu, a fruit vendor of Kendrapara.
Soaring fruit prices are likely to dampen the spirit of Savitri Brata, which falls on June 3. It is celebrated by married women and involves prayers to Yamraj, the god of death, for long lives of their husbands.
The rise in prices of fruits has been pinching the wallet of common man ahead of Savitri Brata. Mangoes are being sold at prices between Rs 50 and 100 per kg. The price of the fruit is usually around Rs 30 during May-end. Similarly, the price of jackfruit has increased from Rs 40 to 70 recently.
“This is a difficult time for coconut and banana farmers in the district. The impact of Fani and crop loss will surely be felt on the agricultural economy as they will find it hard to recover from this blow,” said Harihara Pradhan, a farmer of Garadapur, whose banana trees on one acre were damaged in the cyclone.
“The fruit markets are swarming with buyers and sellers, and the festive mood is evident in view of Savitri Brata but the rates are beyond my budget. It’s not possible for me to perform the rituals in a proper way due to skyrocketing prices of fruits,” said Mita Das, a housewife in Kendrapara.
Md Amin, a fruit seller, said, “We used to get local varieties of mangoes in summer. The prices at the market are more compared to previous year as hundreds of mango, jackfruit and other trees were uprooted in the cyclone. Now, we are procuring the fruits from West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh to meet the demands ahead of Savitri Brata.”