Mangoes are gone, it’s time for litchees, cherries

City markets are flooded with truckloads of fresh fruits

Veda Ramaswamy, Vashi

May 25, 2011 - DNA Navi Mumbai

Navi Mumbaikars can now indulge in a sweet delight. The local markets have been flooded with a fresh inflow of trucks loaded with juicy litchees and blood red cherries since Sunday. Currently, cherries are being sold at Rs 250 per kg while litchees are available at Rs 2 per fruit in the wholesale market. According to fruit traders, the rates have increased by 25-30% this year due to lack of supply.

“The rates of cherries and litchees are higher than usual this year. The prices were expected to be normal but the shortage of produce has led to the price hike,” said Chandra Sharma, a fruit trader from the APMC market. The season for these fruits begin from mid-May and last till July. This being the initial period, the rates are likely to escalate even further. “These fruits have just arrived in the market. Their prices will definitely increase in the next 15-20 days,” confirmed another trader from APMC.

At APMC, the finest quality litchees arrive from various places across India such as Muzaffarpur in Bihar, Dehradun in Uttarakhand and Kolkata in West Bengal, while cherries are ordered from Srinagar in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. The wholesale market receives around 3000 boxes of cherries and 2000 boxes of litchees each containing 600 pieces on a daily basis. “The supplies of these fruits have decreased considerably this year. The produce of cherries is especially disappointing. The unfavourable weather conditions and unpredictable rainfall in the growing region is the cause of the shortage,” said a cherry trader from APMC.

The demand for these summer fruits is on a high as well. With the season for mangoes almost coming to an end, Navi Mumbaikars are opting for these fruits as an alternative. “Litchees have a lot of water content in them. Due to this reason, their demand in the market is high. But since the supply is not adequate this year, their rates are more,” said Sabaji Vajmare, a fruit trader from APMC.

“Litchees and cherries are a good alternative to beat the heat. Since mangoes are out of stock and their season almost over, fruit lovers can look forward to dig into these fruits from now on,” Seawoods resident Pia Sinha said.