Citrus fruit supplies hit due to low production and arrivals delayed due to rising fuel costs
Citrus fruit supplies hit due to low production and arrivals delayed due to rising fuel costs
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The scorching heat is turning out to be a bitter experience for lime and lime vendors in the city as supplies have slowed and prices have risen to stratospheric levels. And there is no respite for those who are out in the sun. Lime juice, once the cheapest natural thirst quencher on the streets, is now selling for around Rs 20 per glass.
This week, lemons are priced at ₹15 per piece, while acid limes are selling at ₹45-50 per kg at retail rates in the shops of the city.
At Gandhi Market, which is said to have at least 200 wholesalers and retailers of citrus fruits, vendors have hesitated to speak, worried that media attention could make their plight worse.
“Prices have certainly risen, but demand has remained stagnant despite this,” said one seller. Hindu, “We have them buying lemons as temple prasad, running juice stalls, keeping groceries in the neighborhood and from those observing the Ramzan fast. But the old momentum is gone. We used to be busy from morning till 8 at night before the pandemic. Now we have to close the shutters by noon as there is no stock left.”
The heat of the day on tarpaulin roofs over queues of shops in Gandhi Market underscored the real reason for the rising demand for lime and lemon. Besides being a healthy drink for heat stress, the fruit is used as temple offerings and is also used along with chilies as a talisman to ward off the evil eye.
The market gets acidic lime from the fields of Dindigul, Tiruchi, Tirunelveli and Perambalur, while lime is sourced from producers in Andhra Pradesh and other states.
Lemons are generally available throughout the year as orchids produce fruit three times in an annual cycle. However, unseasonal rains in Andhra Pradesh, and a cyclone in Gujarat, both major producers of the fruit, have damaged yields for two consecutive seasons, affecting supplies across India.
“Both farmers and traders are facing tough times this year, and the only way out is to wait for the natural cycle to return,” said a leading wholesaler at Gandhi Market.
There is no respite for those who have managed to harvest their wares for sale as the 14% increase in the price of petrol, diesel and compressed natural gas since March has resulted in a substantial increase in transportation costs.