This Gudi Padva, a festival that marks the new year for Hindus in Maharashtra, wholesale markets in the state have been flooded with Hapus or Alphonso mangoes trading at almost half the price as compared to last year. The increase in the arrival of mango consignments from the Konkan coast has brought down prices of the popular fruit, say traders.
“Last year, Hapus from Devgad and other areas of Konkan had retailed in the wholesale markets at around Rs 1,500-Rs 2,000 a dozen. This year, the increased arrivals have pushed the prices down,” says Rohan Ursal, a commission agent operating out of the Gultekdi wholesale market in Pune. This year, Hapus from Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri districts is trading at Rs 800-Rs 1,000 a dozen in the wholesale markets.
In retail markets, Hapus would cost around Rs 1,000-Rs 1,200 a dozen, says Ursal. “This would be the first time in many seasons that prices have come down so early in the season,” he adds.
Gudi Padva is the time when mangoes start arriving in markets in Maharashtra as it coincides with the time when the harvest is ready. Traditionally, the fruit is consumed from this day onwards.
This year, unusually high temperatures in February and the absence of winter have resulted in an earlier-than-usual mango harvest in the state. Farmers in the Konkan had complained of the soaring temperatures scorching the fruits and leading to fruit drops. This had led to speculation of an around 10-15 per cent dip in production. However, the remaining fruits ripened early, and subsequently, the markets were flooded with mangoes this early in the summer.
Ursal says initial reports from Karnataka also talked about a good harvest from the mango orchards there. “This season, the weather will take a toll (on the harvest). After the heat, we had rains and hailstorms…the effects of which will be felt later in the season,” Ursal points out.
