Demand soars for Allahabad's watermelons
Posted by Labels: Fruit, High Demand, India, News 2012, Water Melon
ALLAHABAD: famous guavas of the district, the local variety of watermelons, too, are high on demand and are even exported to Nepal and Bhutan where consignments worth several lakhs are sent. One of the famous varieties is Madhuri 64, a hybrid of watermelon cultivated in Andhra Pradesh.
The belt along the Ganga from Phaphamau onwards is the hub of watermelon farming at places like Dafri, Kulesarghat and Puramufti in Kaushambi. The scorching summer sun is a boon for watermelon as its sweetness is directly proportional to exposure to sunlight, said Tariq Saeed, a farmer.
The sowing season of watermelon grown on the banks of Ganga begins in December last week and the crop gets ready by mid-April after which the farmers send them to local markets laden atop camels and trucks, said a local wholeseller Mohd Muslim.
About supply of watermelons to Nepal and Bhutan, Mahfooz, a trader, said: "Generally, a consignment marked for border districts like Gorakhpur is sent to these countries by local traders who naturally rake moolahs."
He added that since the demand has increased this year, sellers have advanced the date of sending the produce which otherwise is sent during June and afterwards. However we are praying that this time weather should not play spoilsport like last year when unexpected showers and hailstorm caused major damage to the crop, he said.
A wholeseller at Mundera Mandi, Niaz said: "On an average, five to six truckloads of watermelon are sent to Gorakhpur from where they are sent to foreign markets. Usually, a truck load of watermelon weighs around 11 metric tonnes and is priced at Rs 32,000.
In the retail market, a single watermelon is sold for Rs 3.25 per kg, but in the case of export quality product, price increases if the total weight exceeds 11 metric tonnes.
Apart from this, the local variety is also sent to neighbouring districts of Rewa, Satna, Katni and Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh and the rates are same, he added.
Times of India
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