With people preferring to consume fruits and juices to beat the heat, prices of fruits have almost doubled in the market. The prices have gone beyond the reach of the poor and middle class families.
Not stopping here, tender coconut water, which is the most sought-after healthy alternative to bottled drinks, has also crossed the line and a litre of the water used to sell between Rs.35 and Rs.40, but increased to Rs.45 a litre from Friday at majority of the places with mercury touching 46 degrees.
Prices of watermelon, mangoes, grapes, apple, bananas, orange, papaya, muskmelon (kharbooja), pineapple, guava, chickoo, pomegranate and other fruits have skyrocketed in the city.
Watermelon and muskmelon which have high water content and are preferred fruits during summer have good demand in the market.
Spiralling prices
Vendors are selling watermelon at Rs.50 each and papayas at Rs.25 to Rs.30 each.
The watermelon crop has come to an end by the first week of May, and only a few watermelon shops are seen on the city outskirts.
Fine quality of ‘Banganapalli' mangoes are being sold at Rs.250 per dozen and ‘Rasalu' at Rs.200 to Rs.350.
Vendors are selling ‘Chekkerakeli' and ‘Amruthapani' bananas at Rs.50 per dozen and the common varieties of bananas at Rs.30 to Rs.40 per dozen.
There is a great demand for ice apples (munjalu) and vendors are seen busy chopping palm fruits under the shade of trees at several places.
Vendors from Kankipadu, Vuyyuru, Manukonda and other villages are selling ice apples at Rs.20 per dozen in the city.
Real estate
Traders said that the production of mango, banana, chickoo, papaya and other fruits have come down and less stocks are arriving from villages, as many horticulture orchards turned into residential colonies and layouts.
“Prices of fruits are not in the reach of common man. Like vegetables, provisions and leafy vegetables, officials should take steps to sell fruits at reasonable prices at ‘Rythu Bazars', so that people can also afford to buy fruits during the summer”, said a consumer V. Raghunandan Rao.
The estate officers in rythu markets should arrange stalls for fruit vendors, encourage genuine farmers and prevent middlemen and wholesale traders to control fruit prices, said Mr. Rao.
