Journeying from Lemon Orchard to 'Thela' to Understand Why Sour Fruit Is So Costly Right Now | EXPLAINED

It’s being compared to gold. It’s being stolen. And it’s punching a hole into the pockets of many Indian households. Yes, we’re talking of THE summer repellant – lemons. It now costs an average of Rs 10 to 15 to purchase one lemon in India.

To put it in perspective, a vegetable seller in Hyderabad told ANI that he used to buy a whole stake of lemon for Rs 700, but now it costs him Rs 3,500.

MY LEMON ORCHARD

Let’s say this lemon orchard is mine. But I’m not the only farmer in town. The fruit is grown across the country in orchards covering a total of 3.17 lakh hectares.

With 45,000 hectares, Andhra Pradesh is the largest lemon-growing state. The other major lemon-growing states are Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu.

Now, it’s important to understand that Lemon trees bloom and bear fruit three times per year. And it is it within this cycle that farmers like me faced trouble in production this year.

HOW? Lemon growers take three bahars per year:

???? Ambe: Flowering begins in January-February, with fruit formation beginning in April.

???? Mrig: Orchards bloom during the Mrig bahar in June-July, and the harvest occurs in October.

???? Hasta: The Hasta bahar flowering season lasts from September to October, with harvesting taking place after March.

Because these bahars overlap, farmers have fruit to sell all year. An Indian Express report details how the Ambe bahar contributes nearly 60% of the crop that feeds the market, while the Mrig bahar contributes 30% and the Hasta bahar contributes the rest.

But this time, the failure of the Hasta bahar and the subsequent Ambe bahar brought bad news to farmers. Last year’s monsoon was exceptionally good across the country, but the months of September and October saw exceptionally heavy rains. Lemon orchards are extremely sensitive to excess moisture, so the bahar treatment failed due to the heavy rainfall, and flowering did not occur. This fruit is typically kept in cold storage and marketed until the next Ambe bahar fruit arrives. Farmers had lower yields to store this time around due to a significantly lower harvest, the report explains.

Unseasonal rain also harmed the Ambe bahar fruit, with farmers reporting a drop in flowering during the early stages. Soaring temperatures have also affected the crop since the end of February, causing the younger fruits to drop off. When the demand for lemons peaks in the summer, the stored Hasta bahar and fresh Ambe bahar fruits supply the market. But the double hit has affected the market output.

WHATEVER LEMONS I COULD FARM ARE PACKED, BUT NOW FOR THE TRANSPORT…

This imaginary lemon orchard owner will now send off her lemons into the market. But the transport this year is expensive.

There has been a rise in the price of gasoline, diesel, and compressed natural gas, which has resulted in higher transportation costs, leading to higher vegetable and fruit rates. Since March 22, India has seen a 14-fold increase in fuel prices, driving up transportation costs.

Vegetable sellers claim that due to increased transportation costs and a subsequent increase in the buying price, they will be forced to sell vegetables at a higher price.

AND FINALLY, TO THE MARKET

So now, the higher prices are coming down on your pocket. But there’s another reason: a higher demand and a not comparable supply. India has been witnessing heatwave-like conditions across regions, driving up demand for the sour fruit.

This is accompanied by the onset of festival seasons, and during this period too lemons are used for a variety of purposes.

SO NOW WHAT?

Reports say the likelihood of an immediate price correction is slim, with traders dismissing any immediate improvement in arrivals. The next crop, which is expected to arrive in the market after October, will be ready only after that, and only then will arrivals improve significantly.

According to the report by Indian Express, some Ambe bahar arrivals are expected from areas where flowering has not been severely disrupted. Even so, it is not expected that this arrival will be sufficient to meet demand, it says.

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