PATNA: With the onset of summer season, the king of fruits, mango, has reached the city markets.
At the moment, only three varieties of mango --
Gulab Khas,
Malda and Alphonso — are available in the city market. Alphonso, one of the well-known varieties, is available at the price ranging from Rs1,000 to 1,200 per dozen, depending on the size.
Sunny Kumar, who runs a shop near the Income Tax (I-T) roundabout, said, “I have imported the Gulab Khas from Kerala. It costs Rs 250/kg whereas Odissa’s Malda costs Rs300/kg and
Alphonso from Mumbai is being sold at Rs1,200 per dozen. So far the market is normal and the sales will pick up from mid-April.”
Manish Singh, who has his shop near the Secretariat, said he sold more than 12kg of Gulab Khas, 21kg of Malda and eight dozens of the Alphonso since March first week. “Most of the buyers demand Malda as it tastes better than Gulab Khas. So far, we have a few takers for Alphonso because of its high price. The market will pick up in the coming days,” he said, adding the price is expected to come down in the next one or two months.
“Right now, I have only Alphonso, Gulab Khas and Malda varieties. But after April first week, Mithua and Totapuri will be available in the market,” said Raju, who owns a fruit shop near
Sabzibagh. “I have imported the mangoes from Maharashtra and Karnataka,” he added.
The comparatively higher prices have not stopped consumers from buying mangoes. Many feel since mango is available only for a short period of time, they want to enjoy the fruit the most.
Homemaker Vinita Prakash of Boring Canal Road area bought 2kg of Malda from a fruit shop near I-T roundabout. “It’s my favourite fruit. There’s only two fruits that are available for a short period of time — mango and litchi. The other fruits we can buy any time of the year. The price of mangoes has always been higher compared to other fruits,” she said.
“I bought Gulab Khas and Malda but my favourite one is Alphonso. I’m waiting for its price to come down,” said Avinash Gupta, a resident of Digha.
