Lemon squeezes pocket as prices hit the roof in Mumbai

The flowering season being affected by heavy rainfall, and the increase in consumption has led to supply-demand gap and rise in lemon prices.

Lemon prices have hit the roof in Mumbai and the larger Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) as the financial capital of India reels from heat and humidity.

Beating the heat with a glass of 'nimbu-pani' seems to be a costly option now.

The lion’s share of lemon supplies to Mumbai-MMR comes from Shrigonda in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra.

The rise in the price of lemon has been attributed to multiple reasons -- the flowering season being affected by heavy rainfall, and the increase in consumption because of the awareness and need for Vitamin C during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The sweltering heat and the ongoing heatwave apart, the Ramzan festivities have shot up the demand manifold.

In Mumbai-MMR for the last few days, one lemon is being sold at Rs 10 -- the highest ever reported price for this citrus fruit.

“When I went to my vegetable vendor’s shop to purchase lemon, I was told that it is not available. The vendor told me that he is not bringing lemons because of the price. He is having arguments with the customers every day. I went to another shop and bought five lemons for Rs 50. Earlier, for Rs 10, we used to get at least three lemons,” said Rimi Bhowmick, a resident of the Vasai suburb of Mumbai.

There are many reasons for the increase in the prices at retail.

“In October, there has been a lot of rains, which is the flowering season. This has impacted the yield,” said BN Fand, a farmer from Parner, the adjoining tehsil of Shrigonda.

According to Atul Shirke, an agriculturist and banker from Shrigonda, because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the requirement for Vitamin C, the prices have shot up. “There is more awareness among the people about lemon,” he said.

Shirke said that the average lemon farm holding is from 0.5 acre to one acre. “In half-an-acre, there are around 200 trees and one tree would give a yield of 25 to 30 kg,” said Shirke.

“During the normal season, when the demand is low, the farmers get around Rs seven to 10 per kg but during summers, it's around Rs 30 to Rs 40 per kg. However, now farmers are selling at Rs 110 to Rs 120 per kg. At the level of retailers, it is around Rs 300 per kg in Mumbai,” market sources said.

At many restaurants, hotels, and bars, lemon is not served along with onion slices and salad.