Unseasonal rains and prevailing droughts have come in the way of urban dwellers who love to eat fruits for a healthy lifestyle. Exorbitant prices have put fruits out of reach and they are likely to remain so in the coming months.
Mangoes are less in numbers and costlier, oranges and sweet lime have become rare, pomegranates are of inferior quality and consumers have turned their back at the abundantly-available pineapples due to the rainy weather. The only exception is apples, which may have a bumper crop as premium quality apples are growing nicely in the middle and upper reaches of the Himalayas.
Unseasonal rains have caused the maximum damage to mango output in almost all parts of the country. Production of Alphonso, the most premium of all mangoes grown in the country, declined by 50%."Domestic prices were so high that very less quantity was available for exports," said Milind Akre, MD, Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board, which facilitates mango exports from India.
Kaushal Khakkhar, CEO, KB Exports, which exports mangoes to Europe said, "Mango exports to Europe are likely to be half the quantity that is normally exported." Kesar mango, which grows in Gujarat and Marathwada region and is one of the prominent export-oriented varieties, has suffered over 50% loss.
Source:economictimes.indiatimes.com
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