Hyderabad: The arrival of mangoes in the city markets has dropped significantly, indicating the end of the season of much-loved fruit.
On average 500 jeeps and truckloads arrive at the markets from districts of Telangana, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka during the season between February and June. Middlemen buy mangoes from farmers and shift them to markets in the city.
The local businessmen purchase the fruit and keep it at their warehouses and dispense it to pushcart vendors and small-time roadside vendors in 100 to 150 kilograms quantities.
Prices of the mangoes escalated as the arrivals have come down. A kilogram of Benishan costs Rs. 100 a kilogram, Himayat – Rs. 180, Alphonso – Rs. 350, Daseri – Rs. 130, and Maleka – Rs. 130 a kilogram in the retail market.
According to the fruit market officials, the arrivals have come down by around 80 percent at the market and are further expected to come down by mid-July, and by month’s end, the arrivals will stop.
The mango season starts in February and continues until the end of June. Sometimes, the fruit arrivals continue till mid-July.
This year, the arrivals at the market started as early as January. But the fruit remained very expensive. Since April began, the prices came down and were within reach for common people.