Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, May 26: Several markets across the city are now flooded with numerous varieties of mangoes. Being a seasonal fruit it has been selling like hot cakes. People from diverse age groups now prefer to consume the fruit assumed to have heaps of nutrition.
However, if the people involved into the business of selling and dealing with mangoes is to be believed, the prices of almost all varieties of mangoes are likely to soar during the upcoming Raja festival which is scheduled to be held on the second week of June.
Babu Pradhan, a vendor selling different varieties of mangoes at his stall said, “I am selling around seven varieties of mangoes in my shop now. Many people often ask me when the prices of mangoes will come down. I don’t believe the prices are going to be slashed in next few days. The prices are only slated to be soared during the upcoming Raja festival due to festival time.”
Experts from the city however say the prices of mangoes are often controlled by vendors. Talking to Orissa POST, Gayadhar Swain, General Secretary of Rajdhani Unit-I market association said, “Prices of mangoes are mainly regulated by the cost price at which we get the fruits from farmers. Now, the godown prices are Rs 20/kg-Rs 30/kg for most of the mango varieties. But it gets escalated once it reaches vendors.”
However, Swain also says that the same variety varies in costs depending upon the method used to ripen the fruit and it is the secret only known to the vendors. “Vendors sell same varieties depending upon the method used to ripen the fruit. If they are ripened using chemicals or gas it will cost less while naturally ripe fruit will cost dearer.”
According to the insiders of fruit markets in the city, mangoes now are coming from Andhra Pradesh, Dhenkanal, with some exceptions of local mangoes. Currently mango varieties like Sundari, Banganapalli, Amarapali, Lengada, Himsagar, Dasheri are being sold across the city. Most of the mangoes are being sold in the range of `40-80/kg. However, the famous Alfanso variety which is imported from Ratnagiri is being sold at an exorbitant prices of `750/kg.
Customers meanwhile are also irked with the adulterated mango varieties available across several fruit stalls. Rashmiranjan Sahoo, a resident of Unit-I area said, “I am really annoyed with the type of mangoes we get these days. The mean adulterators know very well how to camouflage fruits. Often fruits which look healthy and juicy come out to be sour. How the mango is now only be known after eating it. This is a menace now. Hope government can do something for this.”