Suppliers from Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been dumping huge quantities of mangoes on Aurangabad markets, but despite an abundance of the fruit, buyers are not biting. Sellers are contributing this "unnatural phenomenon" to the current sky prices of the fruits.
Almost one month has passed since the mango season in the city began, but the prices are still to come down. According to the dealers, the drought-like weather has caused the situation.
Bagban Mohammad Zafar, one of the wholesalers, said the supply of mangoes from the region is almost negligible. "We used to get a good quantity of mangoes from the farmers in Kannad, Sillod, Vaijapur and other nearby places. But due to a lack of rainfall and hailstorms, the local farmers have lost their crop. We are now solely dependent on the suppliers based in Southern India," he said.
However, Zafar said the prices may come down in the next 10 to 12 days. "At present, mangoes are arriving in the city from Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu where the market is witnessing a shortage of crop. But the prices would gradually come down as soon as the suppliers from Gujarat start supplying the fruit," he said.
Kachru Sonone, a fruit seller based in Gulmandi, said different varieties of mangoes have been arriving in the city, but there are not enough takers for it. "We have been displaying wide varieties of mango such as lal bagh, badami, kesar, daseri and alphonso but very few buyers are interested. They are shying away only because the prices are about 30-40% high as compared to the previous season," he said.
Last year, Sonone sold lal bagh mangoes for Rs 50-60 per kg, but the same variety is now available at Rs 60-80.
