1kg apple price hits 175 due to supply delay, high wastage

Chennai: Retail price of apples in the city has been soaring up to 175 a kg, which is 55 to 75 above Koyambedu market rates. A combination of reasons, including reduced imports, delay in transportation, and high wastage, pushed up the cost, said retailers.Most wholesale vendors in the Koyambedu Wholesale Fruit Market have reduced the import of apples from China, the US, New Zealand, Italy, and Afghanistan, and stocked up on Indian apples. "This is the season for Indian apples," said K Jayaraman, a fruit commission agent at the market. Apple season in Himachal Pradesh peaks between Aug and Oct. Dispatch from there usually wraps up by mid-Nov. "Supplies usually last until Feb. Most vendors move to Indian apples because they are fresher due to their short transit time within the country. We lost that this time," he said.Apples from Kashmir and Himachal, which typically reach Koyambedu within a week, are now delayed by two weeks due to adverse weather and highway closures. "With extended transit, apples lost firmness, flavour, and freshness," said Kathiresan R, a retail vendor in KK Nagar. The market sells these apples at price of 120 to 150 a kg, depending on variety and quality. "They sell it to us in boxes. We don't check every fruit in the box at the market. In our warehouses, we observe up to 20% damage," he said.To compensate for such losses, retailers often increase prices. "Usually, it is between 20 and 30 a kg more than the wholesale price. Now, we double it to make up for the huge loss," said Sathish R, a retailer in Anna Nagar.Besides apples, the price of fruits such as bananas also increased by more than 40 a kg. Fruits that are reasonably priced include musambi, orange, chickoo, and pineapple.

Get an chance to win ₹5000 Amazon Voucher by taking part in India's Biggest Habit Index! Take the survey here