Hyderabad: Mango lovers can rejoice their much-relished fruit early this year as the arrivals of the most sought fruit started early.
Mangoes are being sold on the push cart in the city in January, two months before the usual season.
The price is about Rs. 200 a kilogram and fruit sellers attribute it to arrivals in small quantities to the wholesale markets. The sales are encouraging for the fruit sellers as mangoes are in high demand everywhere.
Traders point out that the early arrivals of mangoes are due to the copious rains the state witnessed last year. “The Benishan and Nuzvid varieties of mangoes are sold in the city as of now and more varieties will surface later in the market,” explains Murtuza Shaik, a vendor at Nayapul Bridge.
There will be a price drop in the coming days as more varieties in huge quantities will arrive in mid-February. A variety of mangoes including the Benishan, Thothapari, and the Dasheri are the ones that usually make their way to the city first.
The Grade I mangoes are being sold up to Rs 200 per kg, while Grade II mangoes are available at Rs 100 to Rs 150 per kg. “We are buying them from dealers at high prices and cannot reduce prices for customers as we will face losses,” said a vendor.
A horticulture officer explains the flowering process starts in November and December and the ripening of mangoes takes place for some weeks. The mangoes sold in the city during summer are mostly from Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh.
