India: Fruit prices dropped on heat wave worries
"Demand for fruits has gone up in the last four days due to intense heat wave. We are worried that fruits will get damaged on account of higher temperatures therefore we are reducing the rates to clear off the existing stock," said a city-based wholesale fruit seller Mahesh Garg.
Prices of all seasonal fruits like watermelon, mango, litchi, apricot, plum and peach have dipped in the city. There is a fall in prices by Rs 10 to 40 per kg of different fruits. The 'king of fruits' mango is selling between Rs 40-50 per kg which was earlier priced at Rs 100 per kg. Watermelon, which was sold at Rs 70 per kg at the start of the season, is now available at Rs 15-20 per kg.
Consumers are happy with the decline in fruit prices as they are buying more quantity in one go to avoid buying fruits on a daily basis. "At least something is making the common man happier. As the prices of fruits are going down we can buy as much as we want," said Pakriti Ahuja, a doctor from Ghumar Mandi.
"Watermelon is one of the most refreshing, thirst-quenching fruits available in the market. Moreover it also boosts energy levels by up to 23 percent," said a fruit buyer, Megha Grover from Jawahar Nagar Camp.
Source: articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
