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Custard apple slipping out of commoner’s reach
Custard apple slipping out of commoner’s reach. Initially, if it was onion that brought tears in the eyes of consumers, close on the heels of it, a three-fold increase in the prices of pulses made the people’s pulse rate go soaring.
PRICES HIT THE ROOF
- Sitaphal, as it is known in two Telugu states, is more expensive than apple
- A dozen fruits now cost between `200 and `300 whereas their price ranged between `40 and 60 in the past
- The number of trees comes down drastically thanks to real estate ventures and road widening
The Sitaphal is semi-deciduous tree which grows naturally in rocky terrain in several districts of the Telangana State this year. In a reversal of trend, the custard apple which hitherto has been considered as poor man’s fruit is leaving a sour taste in the mouth this season when it comes to pricing.
For decades, the parked bullock carts loaded with Sitaphals were a common sight in every city from the State Capital to every district headquarters. The rural folk, especially the Lambadas, who come from neighbouring districts, like Nalgonda, Medak, Rangareddy and Mahabubnagar, station themselves until they dispose of their stocks.
Up until a couple of years ago, one dozen fruits used to cost anywhere between Rs 40 and Rs 60, but now they are sold between Rs 200 and Rs 300 depending on the size and quality of the fruit. A basket, containing around 25 fruits, which used to cost around Rs 100, is part of history these days.
“The apple is very cheap comparatively to custard apple,” Mamatha Yadav, a PG student of Kakatiya University, told The Hans India, expressing her love for Sitaphal. Indeed, she was true as an apple is available at Rs 10 in Warangal. At Koti in Hyderabad, it is even more cheap and available at Rs 8 each.
Rambai, who sells fruit on the backside of the Hanamkonda Public Garden, said that even though the price is more what they gain is meagre as they have to stay here for two to three days. She hails from Peddapahad village in Janagaon mandal. She said that number of Sitaphal trees which were abundant earlier have now come down drastically due to road widening works, urbanisation and real estate business.
Though the demand for the fruit is constantly growing in the State and the Horticulture Department is offering a subsidy for growing the farms under establishment of new gardens and area expansion of perennial crops, there is not much response from the farmers, it is learnt. Adilabad Horticulture Officer Shyam Rao Rathod said that farmers have taken up cultivation of fruit in just about 15 acres in the district.
By Adepu Mahender
