No bustle at Nunna Mango Market yet

VIJAYAWADA: The mango market at Nunna is not bustling with activity this season. The arrival of fruit at one of the biggest mango markets in Asia is yet to pick up due to poor yield. The drop in crop yield is largely attributed to adverse weather conditions.There are about 80 wholesale shops in the market. Normally, truck loads of mangoes used to be exported from the market everyday during the season to Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and other states by middle of April. Fruit merchants from all over the country used to visit Nunna to purchase the popular mango varieties of Banginapalli, Pedda Rasalu, Chinna Rasalu and Thothapuri.The mango market provides direct employment to hundreds of workers every season. Due to poor arrival of the fruit, the mango market is virtually wearing a deserted look now.Speaking to Express, Mohammad Iqbal, a fruit merchant, said he opened the shop at the market last week only this time. He has exported two truck loads of the fruit so far. The quantum of business done so far is nothing when compared to last season’s turnover, he said.Some traders who opened shops at the mango market on March 15, closed them till the end of the month due to poor arrival of the fruit.Nunna Mango Growers Association secretary S Venkateswara Rao is hopeful that the fruit business will pick up in the next fortnight.P Mallikharjuna Rao, a fruit merchant who is readying his yard for import and export of mangoes, said there was a 40 per cent drop in the mango crop yield this season due to inadequate rainfall. Even if the fruit is arriving at the market, the shape and quality is not good. The fruit did not grow big in size this season due to inadequate rainfall during the harvesting season, he said.But fruit merchants and growers are something to cheer about as they are getting a better price for the fruit this season due to drop in the mango crop yield. The price per tonne of fruit ranges from Rs 15,000 to Rs 35,000 depending on its size, quality and variety. Banginapalli variety is fetching a high price of Rs 35,000 per tonne, said Venkateswar Rao.