The sudden hike in prices of vegetables, especially lemon has left Indians confused. In Delhi, a single lemon now costs Rs 10; in Gujarat, it costs somewhere around Rs 18 to 25. It is selling for around Rs 300 per kg in the wholesale market. At some places, prices have touched Rs 350/kg.
Rising fuel prices, short supply and high demands for lemons added to the price hike, however, climate change is also a major reason that has led to the situation.
Lemon cultivation in India
India produces approximately 17% of the world’s lemons. According to National Horticulture Board (NHB), in 2021-22, Andhra Pradesh was the highest lemon-producing state in India, followed by Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Assam, Telangana, Bihar and West Bengal.
Lemon cultivation requires a warm, moderately dry and moist climate. It can be grown in all types of soils, however, light soils having good drainage are suitable for its cultivation. Similarly, heavy rainfall also damages the harvest and induces bacterial diseases in the orchards.
Lemon’s peak harvesting time in Andhra Pradesh is mid-October, November and December; in Gujarat is around September and mid-October and in Maharashtra, it is during mid-February, March and April. While in Assam, lemons are cultivated round-the year.
Lemon season in India
There are three lemon seasons in a year, namely Ambe, Mrig and Hasta. During Ambe season, flowering takes place from January to February and fruit formation happens in April. In the Mrig season, orchards bloom during June and July and the harvest happens in October. While in the hasta season, flowering is from September to October and the harvest takes place in March. Since, these seasons overlap, there is a supply of lemon throughout the year.
Currently, the lemons of the Hasta and the subsequent Ambe season, which have been a failure this time around, are meeting the market demand.
Short in supply
The reason of shortage in lemon supply could be attributed to the increased rainfall season in the country. Further, the occurrence of cyclones around the harvest time also seem to have shown an impact on the lemon harvest. For instance, Cyclone Gulab occurred in September last year in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana and disturbed the hasta season. Yet again, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha had to face cyclone Jawad in December.
Lemon orchards are extremely sensitive to excess moisture, and thus, due to heavy rainfall, flowering did not happen.The other reason is the soaring temperatures post-February, which has caused the younger fruit to drop off.
During the summers, lemons automatically see a rise in demand. This is when the supply of hasta and ambe season feed the market. But, the failed seasons have caused a decline in supply. Moreover, the rising fuel prices are also causing a rise in transportation cost. Thus, a sudden rise in lemon prices is being witnessed.
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