Custard Apple Season Begins Early; Prices Dip, Demand Rises
Typically, the harvest season starts in late July
Visakhapatnam: Custard apple, often referred to as the sweet fruit of the season, is now abundant in local markets. At the Sitampet weekly bazaar, tribal farmers are bringing in large harvests every Sunday, with crates priced up to Rs 700, which is significantly lower than last season’s rate of Rs 1,200. This price drop is attracting early interest from traders in the plains.
Typically, the harvest season starts in late July. But this year, the fruit has arrived as early as the first week of June. The premature arrival has raised concerns among tribal growers, many of whom depend on custard apple as a key source of seasonal income.
In Vizag’s wholesale market, prices remain relatively high, with crates selling for over Rs 1,000. Kanuri Panduranga Rao, a veteran wholesaler from Purna Market, noted that prices ranged between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,000 in early June but has since decreased. He anticipates further decline of prices as the season progresses.
Panduranga Rao also emphasised the strong demand for custard apple from Agency areas, including Vantlamamidi, Salugu, Devapuram, Ainada, Kasipatnam, and Damuku. Farmers from these regions hope to secure profits by selling to urban and interstate traders.
The fruit is being distributed across Anakapalle, Visakhapatnam, Tuni, Kakinada and Vijayawada, even as far as West Bengal.
According to vendor Paydi Naidu, custard apples are retailing at Rs 80 per kilogram at Vizag’s rythu bazaars and are attracting strong consumer interest. However, in open markets, the price for one kilogram of custard apples ranges between Rs 150 and Rs 200.
