While in 2010, the king of mangoes started arriving in the city in January, this year, the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) does not having enough stock of the fruit even in March.
Mumbaikars wanting to taste Alphonso mango will have to pay a steep price — as much as Rs1,000 for a dozen.
While in 2010, the king of mangoes started arriving in the city in January, this year, the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) does not having enough stock of the fruit even in March.
According to traders and farmers, the harvest of the prized mango has been affected by freak weather in Konkan.
Though the mangoes start coming to the city in January, this year, only 25% of the normal quantity has reached the city. As a result, prices have risen — a box of five dozen Alphonso mangoes costs around Rs5,000.
Most of the crop comes from the Konkan belt and places such as Ratnagiri, Devgad and other areas of Sindhudurg district are the largest producers of the fruit. In November last year, bad weather, including hailstorms, damaged the crop.
Sanjay Pansare, APMC director, said, “This year, the quantity of mangoes in the market is less. Last year in January, 25,000 boxes of the fruit reached the city, but this year, only 8,000 boxes have arrived. We are hoping to get sufficient stock in April and May. However, it looks like the prices will not reduce in April.”
A trader said, “Due to the shortage of Alphonsos, similar mangoes from Karnataka and Gujarat are being sold as Alphonsos. Consumers can’t make out the difference between the original and other varieties easily.”
“The production of Alphonso depends on the weather. November’s hailstorms affected the production. The prices depend on the ratio of demand-supply. This year, supply is low and, hence, the rate will be higher. Konkan farmers still use traditional methods to cultivate the crop. They should modern agricultural technology like that used by farmers in western Maharashtra for grape production. We have trained some farmers to use new technology and seen good results. We hope that slowly all farmers will adopt better growing techniques,” said, Sanajay Yadavrao, executive president, Konkanbhumi Prathishthan, an NGO working to promote Alphonso cultivation using new technology to increase yield.
Ashok Hande, a trader from APMC, said, “The weather during the last few years has not been conducive for large crops of mangoes. Hence, the rate will be high. We are wondering what the price will be by the end of April, and what could be the supply? Right now, the situation is not good. The prices are high.”
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