Temperature rises, demand for watermelon and grapes spikes

Bengaluru: Grapes and watermelon, which are considered summer fruits, have entered the market. Hopcoms is also organizing a mela of these fruits at the end of this month or the first week of March for the fruit lovers besides quenching the thirst for this summer heat.

This time there is good climate for grape crop in the state. If there is too much dew, the grape crop will suffer from ash disease. Then farmers won't get much yield. Even the fruit is not of good quality. But not much dew has fallen this year. Horticulture department officials say that this is a good crop.

Delicious grapes like Thomson Seedless, Sharad, Krishna Sharad, Flame, Globe etc. are arriving from Bijapur, Bagalkot and other parts. As soon as these are finished, Bangalore blue grapes will arrive from Bangalore outskirts. Thus, grape lovers will get a variety of fruits.

Sonika fruit is being sold in abundance in pushcarts and markets all over the city. Depending on the quality of the fruit, it is being sold at Rs 70 to Rs 80 per kg. This seedless and sweet fruit is in high demand. Watermelon seller Muniraju says that the named variety of watermelon fruit has started arriving in the market and is being sold at Rs 20-25 per kg.

Whereas, the main K R Market and Kalasipalya market is all set for the summer demand for fruits. Loads of watermelons are arriving at the main markets such as Market, Hopcoms, Singena Agrahara, Madiwala, Byatarayanpura, Yeshwantpur and others.

Like every year this time the grape and watermelon fair will be organized in the last week of February or first week of March. Fruits will be sold at discounted prices as usual. The objective of the fair is to provide a good market for farmers fruits at discounted prices for consumers. Mirji Umesh Shankar, Managing Director, Hopcoms, said that the fair will continue till the end of grape/watermelon fruit season.