However, lemon cultivation has expanded significantly in other States like Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Bihar this year, resulting in higher yield and overproduction. Combined with a bumper harvest from local orchards in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, a massive supply of lemon is now flooding the markets.
According to sources, wholesale buyers from cities such as Delhi, Mathura, Roorkee, Varanasi, Gokalpur, Chennai, Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram have issued advisories not to send any more lemon consignments, citing excess stock. Some are even rejecting the lemon consignments already sent to them, leaving local traders in a bind.
As a result, prices have plummeted, but traders are unable to refuse lemon produce brought in by farmers. This has led to lemon being stockpiled across market yards, with no immediate buyers in sight.
“We are in a terrible situation. Truckloads of lemons are arriving at the market. We can’t turn farmers away during such a difficult time, but there is little hope for price recovery. The crisis is real. Only if exports pick up again can we survive this phase,” said BK Reddy, a trader at Podalakur lemon market yard.
With no signs of relief from the ongoing supply, and stagnating demand, both farmers and traders are now urging the government to intervene with support mechanism or facilitate export channels to stabilise the market.
