On Akshya Tritiya,alphonso out of reach

Mango traders said as compared to last year,the sale of mangoes a day ahead of Akhshay Tritiya was down due to skyrocketing prices. According to traders,lower alphonso output in Konkan region has reduced the supply of the fruit this year,which has led to an increase in its price.

On Monday,Ratnagiri alphonso was being sold at Rs 700-1,200 a dozen,while the Devgad variety was being sold at Rs 1,000-1,500 a dozen. Ratnagiri and Devgad are sweeter and considered tastier than varieties grown elsewhere.

The price of the Karnataki variety,the supply of which in the Pune market is at least four times that of Konkani varieties,was about Rs 500-1,000 a dozen. Instead of buying four dozens,customers are settling for one. The untimely rain in the first week of this month has severely affected production. This has resulted in only 10 per cent supply this year, said Yogesh Desai,a grower and wholesaler of Konkani varieties.

According to Desai,only 600-700 boxes of Ratnagiri variety arrived in the market,while around 3,000 boxes of the Karnataki variety came in.

Gayatri Chowdhari,one of the organisers of the Mango Festival,said the sale of mango ahead of the Akshay Tritiya was less compared to that in last year. There are about 12-13 stalls and today,ahead of Akshay Tritiya,we sold about 30-35 boxes per stall,which is less than what we sold last year, she said. The festival,which is on near the Balgandharva Audotorium,has been organised by Maharashtra State Agriculture Markeing Board and Jagruti Womens Self-Help Group.

Many retailers are selling Karnataki varieties in the name of Ratnagiri alphonso and quoting a higher price for them. Customers should be careful while buying the fruit, said Shivlal Bhosale,a wholesaler from Market Yard.