Kolkata: High diesel rate, Amphan impact push up fruit prices in Covod season

KOLKATA: Back-to-back blows from Amphan and rise of diesel price have made fruits unaffordable to most of the citizens. Summer is the only time when scarcity of vegetables is largely compensated by variety of fruits, notably the wide variety of mangoes. But this time, the erratic supply line has left a huge demand-supply gap.
“As trains are not operating, the mango supply lines from Malda, Murshidabad and Nadia are badly affected. These are the hubs of Bengal’s mango production, both in terms of quantity and quality. When they are brought by truck, the wastage is higher,” said Abdur Rauf, a fruit trader in Mechua.
“This year, we were expecting a bumper crop, with last two year’s production remaining lukewarm. Even though Amphan did not hit the mango hub the way it hit Kolkata, its impact on the produces was more than devastation. All the green mangoes fell off. So, this year, the scope of a dip in mango price is very little,” said Daulat Khan, who grew five variety of mangoes in his 20-acre mango grove at Azimgunj in Murshidabad.
Apart from Amphan, diesel price hikes have also affected the fruit market.
The trade is in poor shape. The demand from bulk consumers has also dried up owing to the nationwide lockdown. The business has fallen to 25% of usual sales, said a trader.