Shortage of Water Makes Lemons Costlier Than Chicken in AP
Poor rainfall and dry borewells hit production, pushing prices above chicken rates
Kurnool: The price of lemons has touched Rs 250–Rs 300 a kg in Andhra Pradesh, making them costlier than chicken, whose skinless variety is being currently sold at around Rs 240 in retail markets.
Medium-sized lemons are being sold for Rs 7 to Rs 10 each. “I used to get five or six lemons for Rs 10 earlier. Now, a single is costing Rs 10. This is the first time I am seeing lemons being sold at such a high price,” said C.H. Sarada, a homemaker from Kurnool town.
Lemon is cultivated mainly in Nellore and Kadapa districts, followed by Nandyal district on a smaller scale. The state has around 22,000 hectares under lemon cultivation.
Farmers said prolonged lack of rainfall and drying up of borewells has severely affected lemon production this year. In several areas, lemon orchards have dried up due to inadequate availability of water.
B. Pullaiah, a farmer from Lingala mandal in Pulivendula assembly constituency, said he has been maintaining a lemon orchard on four acres for the past five years. This year, the orchard has yielded no crop. “There has been no rainfall and our borewells have dried up. As a result, there is hardly any yield this year,” Pullaiah said.
With supplies falling short of market demand, traders are directly approaching farmers to procure lemons. Farmers say this is a striking change from the past, when traders would sometimes refuse to buy lemons brought by growers to the market.
Nandyal district Horticulture officer U. Nagaraju said the decline in production has contributed to the sharp rise in prices. “Lemon is not a rain-fed crop. It is generally cultivated with borewell irrigation. Whenever the borewells dry up, the yield comes down. Low production this year has resulted in a substantial increase in market prices,” Nagaraju said.
Price rise has affected household preparations during the Shravan month, when lemon-based pulihora is served as an auspicious dish. “Women are now looking for alternatives because lemons have become too expensive. Lemons have recorded the highest price rise this year,” said S. Ismail, a trader at the Kurnool Rythu Bazaar.
Lemon Prices Compared with Non-Vegetarian Food Items
Category / Item Price
Chicken with skin (1 kg) Rs 220
Chicken skinless (1 kg) Rs 240
Fish (1 kg) Rs 200–Rs 250
Eggs (30) Rs 180
Lemons (1 kg) Rs 280–Rs 300
