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Prabhakar Chandne, President of All India Pomegranate Growers Association, told the Times of India: "In the last two years, cultivation of pomegranates has gone up significantly across the country. Almost 20,000 hectares of land are planted with pomegranates: an all-time high. This has led to a bumper harvest of about 10,000 to 12,000 tonnes this season, almost double the previous year's yield. This has further impacted the supply and demand equation.”
Maharashtra leads with 17,500 hectares of land with pomegranate cultivation, followed by Nashik and Sangli.
The pomegranate crop was badly hit by an extended monsoon. This caused bacterial diseases and the initial supply was of inferior quality. The wholesale prices varied across the state after that. But the prices are expected to return to normal levels by mid-January, with the arrival of the new harvest.
