Lemon price at Rs 100 per kg brings cheer to Nellore ryots

Lemon is cultivated in about 43,000 acres in the district.
For representational purposes
For representational purposes

NELLORE:  Soaring temperature from March itself may be tough for majority of people, but it has proved to be a boon for lemon farmers of Nellore as they started getting a better price for their produce this season. The lemon farmers incurred heavy losses last year due to the Covid-19 induced lockdown.
Lemon prices have spiralled from Rs 50 a kg to Rs 100 in the last two weeks in the district. The demand for lemons has also doubled with import orders from northern parts of the country. 

Lemon is cultivated in about 43,000 acres in the district. Podalakur, Venkatagiri, Jayampu and Gudur are major markets for lemon. About 25 truck loads of lemon are exported to several parts of the country from these markets a day on an average during the season. Karnataka, Kerala, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh are major importers of lemon from Nellore. Normally, the prices of lemon start increasing from mid-April. The demand for lemon has increased from mid-March this season due to prevailing heat wave conditions in several parts of the State.

“We dumped the lemon produce on roads last year due to lack of remunerative price. The increase in lemon prices has brought cheer to Nellore farmers,” said S Meera Reddy, a cultivator from Gudur rural mandal. 

The prices of lemon are hovering between `90 and `100 a kg now. We are hopeful of further rise in the prices of lemon in the coming days,”  said K Mastanaiah, a farmer from Podalakur. 
Exports from Eluru lemon market in AP and Nakrekal market in Telangana to northern States have declined this year, which resulted in rise in demand for Nellore lemon. Hence, the lemon farmers are hopeful of reaping good profits this season.

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