09 November,2014 07:40 AM IST | | Anvekar Anvekar
The juice of the humble fruit is known to bring down dengue fever and vendors at APMC market have noticed a clear rise in its sale; presently, around 40 trucks are unloaded at the market every day
With the rise of dengue cases in the city, Mumbaikars are aggressively swatting mosquitoes, which is a carrier of the disease. It is a known fact that there is no medication for dengue, and all a patient can hope for is to bring the fever under control.
As a home remedy of sorts, doctors recommend papaya juice to fight this disease.
It is perhaps for this reason that papaya traders at Vashi's APMC market have noticed a high demand for the fruit in the past few weeks.
According to vendors, one of the main reasons for the rise in the sale of this fruit is the fact that it is beneficial in the treatment of dengue.
People eat more papaya
Deepak Jaiswal, a fruit trader at the market, said, "People have started consuming more papaya as they believe it keeps dengue at bay. The dip in the fruit sales, which had been recorded in the month of September, has now picked up momentum, especially in the case of papaya."
At present, the fruit costs Rs 20-25 per kg in the wholesale market. The rates have come down gradually as compared to the price of Rs 8-15 per kg a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, in the retail market, papaya is sold for Rs 30-50 per kg depending on the quality and size. Sanjay Pansare, director of APMC fruit market, said, "Ever since the dengue epidemic has hit Navi Mumbai and its neighbouring cities, people have started consuming vitamin-rich fruits like papaya. Around 40 trucks, compared to the regular number of 10 to 15, carrying papaya are unloaded at the APMC market every day."
