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Ludhiana | Common man feels the squeeze as lemon prices shoot up
A kilogram of lemon is being sold in wholesale markets of Ludhiana for ₹130 while retail vendors are charging anywhere between ₹170 to ₹190 per kg. Street vendors are charging a whopping ₹200 per kg.
Already feeling the heat due to skyrocketing prices of fuel and other essential commodities, the common man is further feeling the squeeze due to the acute shortage of the humble summer refresher lemon.
A kilogram of lemon is being sold in wholesale markets of Ludhiana for ₹130 while retail vendors are charging anywhere between ₹170 to ₹190 per kg. Street vendors are charging a whopping ₹200 per kg.
The sudden spike in demand has left the arhtiyas worried. With a single lemon being sold for ₹10- ₹15 in the market, wholesale traders are growing increasingly worried about the security of these prized commodities.
Ajay Malik of Malik Trading Company revealed how three days ago, thieves struck at a vegetable mandi near Jalandhar Bypass and took away a box bearing a lemon sticker. The box, however, contained garlic. “We have deployed a worker to keep a watch on our lemon stocks, especially at night,” said Malik.
Another commission agent, Shubham Bhatia of Bhatia vegetable company said, “Earlier, we used to keep lemon boxes in the open, not anymore. I had ordered around 100 boxes, which cost me over ₹1.30 lakh. When the stock arrived at my godown, I deployed an employee specially to guard the lemons.”
As per market experts, the rates of lemon are expected to remain high till the next month when the new crop begins to arrive.
Deepak Sharma, a former market secretary, who is now working as a commission agent, said many factors have led to the sudden hike in lemon rates. “First, the arrival of lemon has dropped by 50% and the sudden temperature rise has increased its demand. The fuel price hike has added to the transport cost which has further jacked up the price. Due to shortage some arhtiyas and private firms are hoarding lemon,” he added.
