Traders of Alphonso mangoes in Maharashtra suffer massive losses during the lockdown

Mango traders across the state of Maharashtra have suffered immense losses due to the ongoing lockdown, a report said. This affects sellers of Alphonso mangoes, with traders mentioning that their godowns are now filled with rotten mangoes as sales of these once in-demand mangoes are down. 

It is worth noting that a big chunk of these mangoes used to be exported but now with the flights being grounded, there is no way that the traders can sell these in international markets.  

Maharashtra and several other states have officially opened up the sale of alcohol for takeaway. Keeping this in mind, one can only hope that local vendors and sellers of exotic fruits, in particular, see the tides turning. 

Read - Lockdown 3.0: No Relaxations For Mumbai And Pune

The concern has been the reduction of people coming into markets to buy fruits and vegetables so as to avoid the risk of overcrowding. This concern is justified given that there have been cases of vegetable, fruits, and tea stall owners in Mumbai testing positive for the virus. 

However, there needs to be an attempt to reopen the economy safely so as to give the traders a desperately needed chance to clear out their inventories. The challenge will be to maintain adequate social distancing and ensure citizens wear masks at all times, which we’ve not seen a lot of in the markets across the country. 

Standalone shops and liquor stores can remain open in red, orange, and green zones, although the opening of shops is still not permitted in containment zones. There have been 8,800 cases in Mumbai alone, making it a hotbed for the virus. Data suggests that 2,115 in Maharashtra have recovered from the virus so far, although the death toll in the state stands at 548. 

There are also been instances where a lot of farmers are reaching out directly to the consumers to sell their produce. Many societies in the parts of the city have vegetable and fruit trucks that claim that they are directly selling their farm produce to people. More such innovative efforts are needed by the traders to make sure they are able to get some returns for their produce.