It is mid May and mango lovers are yet to savour their favourite fruit to their heart’s content.
With the crop being adversely affected this year due to late flowering followed by unfavourable weather conditions, the production has invariably declined leading to thin arrivals in the markets.
While ‘Suvarna Rekha’ and ‘Banganapalli ’ are sold at ₹50 per kg at Rythu Bazaars, ‘Palukulu’ and ‘Pariyalu’ are available at ₹40 a kilo. In retail stores, consumers end up paying double the cost for the same quantity.
Those who are unable to wait any longer to bring home a basket of mangoes, have to compromise on the quality as a majority of them are coated with chemicals such as calcium carbide and ethephon. “Last week, I bought a pair of ‘Banganapalli’ mangoes for ₹150 from a roadside vendor. However, the quality of the fruit was so disappointing that I did not go for it again,” elaborates M. Ravi Kumar, an entrepreneur.
Grim picture
The seasonal business paints a grim picture for wholesale dealers too as very few takers revisit the markets to buy mangoes. “As of now, the markets are dominated by artificially ripened mangoes which lack in flavour and aroma. Even those who buy mangoes at a particular stall rarely revisit the place for the same variety. Ambitious farmers, who want to make some quick bucks, end up plucking the mangoes in premature stage and then ripen it using chemicals. It eventually affects the quality of the seasonal fruits,” observes A. Narayana Murthy, wholesale merchant.
Horticulture officials say mangoes are arriving from Nakkapalli, Kotavuratla, Padmanabham, Narsipatnam, and Makavarapalem to the local markets in limited quantities. “This year, mangoes are grown in approximately 15,000 hectares across the district and the production is close to 10 tonnes per hectare. While varieties like ‘Suvarna Rekha’ and ‘Rasalu’ have already trickled in, it takes a little longer for ‘Banganapalli’ mangoes to dot more market shelves,” says K. Anu Radha, Assistant Director of Horticulture Department, Narsipatnam.
