Mango mania yet to gain steam due to low stock

S Srinivasan, president of Chennai Fruits Commission Agents Association, said that the mango crop has been significantly lesser this year compared to the last. This is primarily due to changing weather patterns but the current prices are more or less the same as to 2018.

“The city usually receives crops from Vijayawada by April. This year, the season has barely started and most of the varieties are arriving late by a month,” he said. For the past 10-15 years, the mango season has been starting late because of insufficient or untimely rains. According to Srinivasan, “Around 20 years ago, the market would be flooded with certain varieties of ripe mangoes as early as March. Banganapalli would come in by April. This no longer happens.”

Apart from mangoes, the most popular varieties being consumed are sweet lime, orange, watermelon and musk melon, said Chandra, a fruit vendor in T Nagar. “People buy saathukudi in bulk to make juice during the summer. I sell it for around Rs 35 all the way up to Rs 50, depending on the size of the fruits,” she said. Watermelon costs Rs 15-25 depending on the size, while and musk melon is priced according to the variety. “There are mainly three types of musk melon — star, hybrid and Agra. I sell them all between Rs 25 and 30,” she added.