Hyderabad: Prices of apple fruit have plummeted sharply compared to the previous years owing to the massive arrival of the fruit into the markets in the city following a bumper crop in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.
A box of apples containing 100, 200 and 300 pieces is priced between Rs 650 and Rs 750 each (Kashmir variety) and between Rs 500 and Rs 600 (Shimla variety). The prices are comparatively lesser compared to 2021 when it was sold for a price between Rs 600 and Rs 900 and Rs 600 and Rs 700 respectively.
In 2020 the prices were between Rs 600 and Rs 900 (Kashmir Apple) and Rs 600 and Rs 900 (Shimla) respectively.
The arrival of apples to the city starts in the month of July and is usually from various districts of Himachal and the Shimla variety is the most popular.
Apples that are brought into the city’s market are grown in Shimla, Kinnaur, Chamba, Kullu, Mandi and Lahaul-Spiti districts of Himachal Pradesh.
In November, the arrivals into the city increase with apples from Kashmir, which continues till the end of December. The apples from Kashmir are more in demand due to their taste, colour and size and cost. However, with the arrivals in abundance, the prices are not high currently and are expected to fall further in the coming days.
“The fall in prices is due to the bumper crop in both Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Every day 15 to 20 truckloads of apples arrive at the city markets including Batasingaram. The number of trucks bringing fruit will increase in the coming days and prices will fall further,” said the secretary of Batasingaram market, Ch. Narsimha Reddy.
A truck carries between 600 and 1,000 boxes.
Traders point out that the price of the fruit is very low compared to the last three years. “A dozen good quality apples cost between Rs 180 and Rs 200. Regular apples are priced at Rs 10 each on push carts and people bargain at Rs 100 dozen too,” said Syed Jameel, a fruit trader at Chaderghat.
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