 "BANANA, FARMERS, AGRICULTURE")
Prices of bananas have reached Rs 100 per kg as supplies from the top producer of the fruit, Tamil Nadu, have dwindled, according to a report in The Economic Times (ET).
As prices almost doubled since last week, banana traders said that middlemen are responsible for the price rise as farmers were not getting the right prices for their produce.
In Bengaluru, prices of bananas have touched Rs 100 per kg. Traders said that the supply coming from Tamil Nadu has reduced significantly.
The markets received 1,500 quintals of bananas a month ago, but it has now come down to 1,000 quintal.
B V Patil, president of the Banana Grower Association of India, said that prices are Rs 15 per kg at the farmgate level.
“It is the middlemen and transporters who jack up the prices,” Patil said.
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The states of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Gujarat are the largest banana-producing states in the country. Maharashtra supplies bananas to Uttar Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir.
In Mumbai, prices are rising as demand has increased in the ongoing Shravan month. Traders said that with the upcoming festival season, demand for bananas will rise further, and prices may not come down from the current levels, according to the ET report.
Shantanu Meher, owner of Mumbai-based Shantanu Meher & Co, said, “There will be a fluctuation in prices as the demand will rise. From Wednesday, the second part of the Shravan month has begun. This is the time when demand for bananas picks up. That will have an impact on prices.”
However, apples may not see any price increase despite production reducing to about half due to heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir.
The production of apples in Himachal Pradesh has halved to 15 million boxes — each box weighing 22 kg — due to the damage caused by heavy rains.
Ravinder Chauhan, president of the Apple Growers Association of India, said, “Prices of apples are unlikely to go up this year because the quality has suffered due to the inclement weather conditions.”
