Summer season is known for its mouth-watering fruits. Demand for mango in the city is at its peak now. “Being the king of fruits, mango is loved by all,” said college student Akanksha Mishra. Despite the sweltering heat or continuous rain, people are seen to step out of their homes to enjoy the season of mangoes, she added.
While the city residents are seen enjoying the fruit many are also seen to complain about its hovering prices in the city. Prices are seen to vary from region to region in the city according to its type. “Right now only three/four types of mangoes are available in the market — Safeda, Alfonso, Dussheri,” said a vendor of the Dharampur fruit market, Dehradun. “Safeda has been sold at the price ranging between `60-80/Kg, price for Dussehri ranges between `40-70/kg and Alfonso costs `1200-1500 for approximately 12 pieces,” the vendor added.
“We get different prices at different places,” said housewife Neelam Goel. Complaining about the rise in prices of mangoes in the city, she added, “Prices differ from street to street. We pay `50/kg for Safeda to the vendors in Patel Nagar fruit market but near the railway station the price soars up to `80/kg.” There is not any fixed rate for any fruit in the city and the vendors fix prices at their own sweet will. Even bargaining does not offer any profit to them, city residents complain.
Vendors of the main fruit/vegetable markets of the city earn a huge profit as people also buy Alfonso mango, known for its rich taste.
“One pack of Alfonso comes with 12 or 10 pieces and the price ranges between `1200- `1700 per pack,” said one of the vendors in Patel Nagar Mandi. The prices of other mangoes in the city vary from place to place. The price normally ranges from `50-70/Kg near Parade Ground, but it shifts to `40-90/kg near Saharanpur Road.
As many of the residents are seen to be enjoying the rich varieties of mangoes in the city some also resist to buy such expensive fruits due to various reasons. “Alfonso costs a fortune, but half of the pieces in the pack are found to be rotten and there is no exchange for that,” said housewife Vinita Sharma. Vendors do not take them back and it is just wastage of our money, she added.