The Talala Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) at Junagarh has started auctions of popular Kesar variety of mangoes from this week. The first box of mangoes were traded for Rs 1100.
Mango auctions started a month late this time, owing to bad weather. The auctions had started in April last year. As per data provided by the Talala APMC, on the first day of auctions, 5,030 boxes of mangoes (each of 10 kg) had arrived as against 8,400 boxes on the first day of 2010 auctions.
Sources in APMC said that the money from the first box of mangoes that were traded for Rs 1100 will be used for 'gau-seva'. Kesar mango arrivals have decreased by 40 per cent this year compared to last year due to untimely rains spoiling the crop in February. It is a very important time for mango flowering.
Talala APMC secretary Harsukh Jarsaniya said, "We were expecting that this year about 4 to 5 lakh boxes will come for auction in the APMC as against 14.87 lakh boxes last year.” The APMC feels that the arrivals will increase after 15-20 days and prices will also come down. The auctions will close in the first week of June.
