18 March,2022 02:28 PM IST | Mumbai | Anagha Sawant
Mangoes
As the summer season sets in, the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, is receiving around 13,000-14,000 boxes of mangoes every day from the Konkan region of Maharashtra - Ratnagiri, Raigad and Sindhudurg.
Sanjay Pansare, Director of the APMC fruit market, says, "Currently, the rate of each box ranges from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 depending on the variety of mangoes and from which district it comes from. Even if it is the beginning of the mango season, the demand for the fruit has shot up. Almost all the boxes are sold out by the end of each day.
Sanjay Pansare
Chandrakant Dhole, Chairman of the APMC fruit market, says, "Besides Europe, we get a lot of demand from Dubai for Alphonso. We are also getting orders from Ahmedabad and Delhi.
In Maharashtra, there has been demand from Mumbai, Sangli, Pune, Satara region. Speaking about the customers, Pansare adds, "Internationally, there is a higher demand from the Gulf and European countries. We have started exporting to the international market."
Dhole adds, "Other than Alphonso mango from the Konkan region, we also receive stocks from Karnataka. But the demand for Karnataka Alphonso is less than the Devgad Alphonso, which are world-famous for its quality. Due to this, the price range for Karnataka Alphonso is half the price of Devgad Alphonso i.e around Rs 1,000-Rs 1,500. Many retailers prefer to buy this substitute for their business as there is more demand of Alphonso mangoes in the market everywhere."
All the mangoes are organically ripened in the chambers. As per the fruit traders, the rate of mangoes will decline after April 20 tentatively this year. "The unseasonal rainfall and extremely cold weather have affected the growth of mangoes. There is a shortage in the stock till April 20. We are expecting an increase in stock supply from April 25 onwards," adds Pansare.
In the month of May, the APMC market will be flooded with mangoes from other states too.
