Hyderabad: Apple prices soar due to shortage in supply

The daily arrivals to the city from Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir have come down by roughly 50 per cent leading to an increase in prices compared to last year.

Hyderabad: Torrential rains and floods in the apple bearing Himachal Pradesh five months ago have brought down the supplies of fruit to the city by about 50 per cent.

The daily arrivals to the city from Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir have come down by roughly 50 per cent leading to an increase in prices compared to last year.

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The arrivals in the city on November 15 were 1,580 quintals as compared to the 3,250 quintals on the same day last year. On December 5, the arrivals were 1,098 quintals while on the same day last year, it was 3,063 quintals.

“Due to the low supplies, the prices have significantly increased at the market between 40 and 50 per cent. On an average 12 trucks are arriving at the market as against 30 to 35 trucks,” Batasingaram fruit market secretary Ch Narsimha Reddy said.

Apples arrive from various districts of Himachal Pradesh with the variety popular in the city as the Shimla variety. Apart from Shimla, it is grown in Shimla, Kinnaur, Chamba, Kullu, Mandi, and Lahaul- Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh.

This apart apples from various regions of Kashmir also arrive in the city in November and continue till December end. A truck carries between 600 and 1,000 boxes, with each box containing 50,150 or 180 apples.

A box containing 180 apples is sold for anywhere between Rs 1,400 to Rs 1,900 now. “Due to low supplies, the prices are higher and it will remain so this season,” points out Mohd Jameel, a fruit vendor at Nayapul.