The season's first Alphonso mangoes have started to arrive at the APMC wholesale market in Vashi, from where they are sent to the Mumbai market and for export. Since Monday 7 March, around 5,000 boxes of green, raw Alphonso mangoes have been arriving daily at the wholesale market from Deogarh, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri and Raigad. The fruits are being sold at a premium Rs400-1,000 per dozen at the APMC, but in the Mumbai metropolitan region, retailers are selling them for as much as Rs1,000-2,000 per dozen.
Wholesalers predict that the supply will double from March 20, with over 10,000 boxes expected to hit the market, which will lower the prices. A box comprises at least six dozen and out of the total supplies at APMC, 20% is for export.
Last year, when the Alphonso hit the market, the price was Rs300-1,000. Farmers and traders said the market may see less supply in the peak season as 20% of the crop was damaged due to unseasonal rain last week, affecting the crucial flowering period for the harvest projected in May.
After deliberations among traders, exporters and farmers, the price was fixed at Rs400-1,000 a dozen in the wholesale market. Exporters have started sending shipments to the Gulf, a major market for Indian mangoes, compared to the European Union.
