Mango Prices In Chennai Likely To Reduce As Supply Increases

Summers in Chennai just cannot be imagined without markets overflowing with yellow-golden mangoes lined up in abundance. Summer 2018 is about to become even sweeter as mango prices fall by a third of their previous rates. This is a result of an increased supply of better quality mangoes that have started pouring into the markets with the start of the mango season.

“Last week, I was selling the Banganapalle variety at Rs 150/kg but now it is available at Rs 100/kg or lower,” Kumaran, a mango vendor in the city told TOI.

With the increased influx of mangoes not just in quantity but also in variety and quality has caused a rise in competition among sellers which in turn has brought down the overall price of the mangoes by as much as a third.

“On some days, the number of mangoes received at Koyambedu peaks at 100 tons. On such days, we have to push all our fruits to sellers at lower prices as the cold storage facilities are not adequate,” N Srinivasan of the Chennai Fruits Traders Association told TOI.

Following a series of consecutive raids in the city by the food safety department that resulted in artificially ripened fruits destroyed by the ton, sellers are only too happy to sell off their stocks for lesser prices. Hoarding the fruits they have already received from suppliers could very well turn risky in case of a clampdown from the food safety authorities.

“The government has been talking about helping us for the past four years but has done nothing,” said Srinivasan adding that traders are expecting the government to provide help for the setting up of cold storage units in the city to help them out during such surplus seasons.