Indore: King of fruits to remain pricey this season

Alphonso, Badam or Sundari, be ready to spend more money for your favourite mango this year. The unseasonal rain and hailstorms that hit the mango belt of the country earlier this month damaged the crop badly, so much so that it could leave a hole in your pocket, local traders told HT.

Alphonso, Badam or Sundari, be ready to spend more money for your favourite mango this year.

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The unseasonal rain and hailstorms that hit the mango belt of the country earlier this month damaged the crop badly, so much so that it could leave a hole in your pocket, local traders told HT. Alphonso is being sold at Rs 200 per kg, Badam at Rs 80-90 per kg and Sundari at Rs 80-100 per kg in Indore markets, they said.

“Prices are already up by around Rs 20 per kg as compared to last year. The spike in price is mainly due to the large-scale crop damage due to unseasonal rainfall in certain mango growing belts,” said Sunil Rajani, a wholesale fruit merchant. Indore gets its mangoes from Kerala, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.

It is currently receiving eight to 10 truckloads from Kerala and Maharashtra. The prices are likely to slip once the supply from Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat reaches Indore. “Totapari and Kesar mangoes from Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat are expected to reach city in the next 10 to 15 days,” Rajani said, adding that it might push the prices of Badam variety down to Rs 70 per kg. “However, price of Alphonso (Hapus) is expected to remain high as the variety suffered major damage due to the March rain,” he said.

Traders feel the prices could come down by mid April, but it would still remain higher than the previous year.