Demand from North hikes oranges price

Anantapur: Sweet orange farmers have to be satisfied with the local prices for more time, as New Delhi, south Asia’s biggest fruit market, would take one more month’s time to be in a more active mode. This is because the temperatures in Delhi are still normal.

At present, a tonne of sweet orange is being sold at ₹35,000 to ₹45,000 in the local market while the top quality of the fruit costs around ₹50,000 in the Bengaluru market. Though the prices were high a month ago, a fluctuation was witnessed of late. Farmers hope to get better prices for the produce in the northern markets as the sweet orange fruit from Kadapa and Anantapur in AP and Nalgonda in Telangana have better taste and more juice.

Ramakrishna Reddy, a farmer from Tadimarri, said the present price was at a satisfactory level locally as it fetches the returns for farmers’ investments. “So far, about 30 per cent of farmers have sold the produce to the traders locally and a few of them at the Bengaluru market. More than 70 per cent of the farmers are waiting for better prices and have not gone for harvesting,” he said.

As the local orange fruits have quality, they can survive even if they are kept on the trees for more time until farmers get attractive prices in the northern markets.

Delhi still has normal temperatures and hence the fruits market there has not become active.

Another trader Subhan said, “The sweet orange fruits from Anantapur and Kadapa have huge demand in Delhi and other markets in the north after the first week of May, when the summer will be at its peak.” The prices may reach ₹50000 on a tonne of sweet orange fruits in the Delhi market by then.”

Though the district administration initiated the run of a Kisan Train from Anantapur to Delhi in 2020 to help the farmers here get good prices for their produce, the facility was discontinued later. Now, farmers have to depend on trucks and lorries for transportation of fruits to long distances. The journey time of three days would damage at least 10 per cent of the fruits. The Kisan Train would have been a better option.