Mumbai:
Do you drag yourself through the blistering heat every day, sustained solely by the thought of that refreshing burst of lychee sweetness when you get home? Well, hold that thought while you mull the fact that rampant naxal activities in Bengal have forced exporters to transport the delicate fruit via air routes, causing prices to skyrocket. So that bowl of favourite heat-busting fruit may prove quite heavy on your pocket.
According to lychee exporters, erratic railway schedules had been having a deleterious impact on the quality of the fruit. When the trains would finally reach Mumbai after inordinate delays, the stocks would have rotten.
"The railway system of Bengal has taken a severe beating due to the frequent attacks on its trains by naxals.
Delays would cause the stocks to go bad. Ultimately, the exporters decided to convey the fruits via flight. Needless to say, this is a costly affair, as a result of which prices have increased by almost 75 per cent," said Harish Vasandhani, a trader from Mumbai.
Lychee season in Mumbai begins with the arrival of the 'Bambiya' variety, which is grown in West Bengal. This variety of the succulent fruit usually hits the market in the first week of May. This is followed by the arrival of the 'Sahi' litchi variety, grown in Bihar's Muzaffarpur area, which is available by the middle of May.
Vasandhani, visibly upset by the rising prices, said, "Last year, only 50 per cent of the usual lychee harvest was produced, owing to a sudden rise in temperature in the regions where it is grown. While temperature conditions were conducive to a good lychee harvest this year, the naxals played havoc with our plans."
Vasandhani added that though exporters had appealed to the airline companies for concessions, no agreement had been worked out yet. A wholesaler from Crawford market echoed Vasandhani's emotions, saying, "We are spending double the amount on transport this year than we usually do. Of course market prices will be affected. There is a shortage of the fruit this year. Even if we get the stocks, it is comparatively far more expensive than last year's. Last year, the cost of a kilo of lychee was Rs 100. This year, it has gone up to a prohibitive Rs 175. There are cheaper varieties available, but they aren't of great quality," he said.
Partha Sarthi Banerjee, a Kolkata agent, agreed with Vasandhani's sentiments, adding, "Recently, due to the Air India strike we faced major problems in exporting lychees. Storage of the fruit is cumbersome and costly. All these factors have collectively had an impact on prices."
India and China together account for 91 per cent of the world's total lychee production. According to the statistics provided by the National Horticulture Board, 4.48 lakh ton of lychee were produced in 73,000 hectares in 2009, whereas 2.24 lakh tonnes of the fruit were produced in 2010, in the same area.
VoicesMiddle class families will now have to do away with such expensive fruits, as it will burn a hole in our pocket. The government should control the prices and curb such hikes.
-- Manisha Tembhekar, a housewife from Dadar
Lychees should be available by now, but unfortunately we are not seeing enough stock in the market. Even when they are available, they are too expensive or of inferior quality.
-- Hardeep Kaur, a Mulund resident