That the apples have potent disease "" fighting antioxidants "" is a marketplace knowledge, but buying the fruit could turn out to be more expensive than a visit to the neighbourhood physician. |
Apples are selling at over Rs 50 per kg in the National Capital Region (NCR) as well as other parts of the country and the price will more than double the year-ago level. In fact, prices of the imported varieties have already skyrocketed above Rs 100 a kg. |
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However, consumers are unlikely to get any respite from the high apple prices in the near future, with the cultivation season already ended in the country's main apple-producing state ""- Himachal Pradesh. |
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The sharp jump in prices this year is mainly attributed to 40 per cent decline in production in Himachal Pradesh, traders said. |
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The season in the hill state, which starts from August 1 and continues till October 31, witnessed 40 per cent fall in production this year, fresh fruit trading firm Suri Agro Fresh's managing director Hitin Suri said. |
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"Because of low production, the prices are up by 50-70 per cent," he added. In a normal year, Himachal Pradesh produces over four lakh tonne of apples which is about 90 per cent of the state's total fruit productions, while this year's production is pegged at 2.50 lakh tonne. |
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Retail prices of sweet apple has held above Rs 40 per kg this season even in Delhi's downtown areas, whereas last year it was selling around Rs 25 during this period, a retailer said. |
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Apples have been sold at as high as Rs 100 per kg in some parts of the national capital this season, he added. Traders said presence of imported apples in the market, those coming from the US and China, has also led to a sharp jump in the prices. |
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While imported apples are being sold near Rs 100 per kg, the domestic apples "" including the Kinnaur and other varieties, are being sold in the range of Rs 40-80 per kg. |
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Linking high prices to import, Kashmir Apple Merchants' Association president Metha Ram Kriplani said, "Indian apple prices have gone up as farmers knew that American apples at higher rates are also being consumed in India." |
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Import of fresh apples registered 47.13 per cent growth at Rs 90.58 crore in 2005-06 compared with Rs 61.57 crore in the previous year. |
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