The APMC president G Somashekhar, addressing a press meet here on Monday said the roads in the yard will be developed at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore. The financial assistance available for the project would be fully made use of. The yard is being renovated in view of the upcoming mango season. The construction of shops to facilitate mango trading is on way.

The marketing yard has been constructed on Boyinachapalli tank bed. Since there are possibilities of water entering into shops during rains, the embankments are being constructed by raising the groundlevel. Zinc sheets are being fitted to the shops.
Power connection

Somashekhar said the mango harvesting has been delayed this year and power connection would be provided to shops by the time trading begins. The availability of water has been augmented by constructing additional tank. Toilets have already been constructed, he said.

Mango Traders Association president Amanulla said some traders have constructed shops outside the yard obtaining permission from the directors. Allowing such construction would defeat the very purpose of shifting the APMC market from private land to the yard, he said.

“There is no truth in the complaint of traders that there is no sufficient space available at the yard for business. The trading was successfully carried out, that too with a bumper mango crop, at the yard itself last year. There would be no problem this year as there has been a drastic decrease in the yield. If at all they intend to open shops, let them do so outside the Town Municipal limits,” he said.

District Mango Growers Association president B M Chandra Reddy said the market registered a turnover of Rs 35 crore with the trading of one lakh tonnes mango last year. In fact, the trading was double these figures. However, owing to decreased yield this year, the trading could come down by 75 per cent, he said.

Delayed flowering
The mango harvest season is delayed this year due to delayed flowering. Not only that, the fruit cannot be harvested at a time this year due to flowering in phased manner. Thus harvesting too need to be carried out in phases, and this has been delaying opening of the trading shops.

Some growers are dumping Raspuri and Badam varieties in large quantities. Both are being purchased at Rs 26,000 per tonne.

The price would be determined by demand as and when the trading commences in full swing. Short supply of the produce expected to spur the mango prices this time. Mango mela has been organised at Lalbagh in Bangalore on May 29. Wide varieties of the fruit - Mallika, Badami, Amrapali would be available at the mela.