Mango prices soar across Pune ahead of Akshay Tritiya

PUNE: Ahead of the Hindu festival of Akshay Tritiya celebrated on Wednesday, April 30, mango lovers across Maharashtra are facing a steep hike in the price of their favourite summer fruit. In Pune, the cost of mango varieties such as Hapus (Alphonso), Pairi, and Kesar has risen significantly at both retail and wholesale markets. The rise in prices is attributed to the Maharashtrian custom of families beginning their seasonal consumption of mangoes only after a puja at home on the occasion of Akshay Tritiya, coupled with limited supply of the fruit.

Wholesale fruit markets across the city have reported a jump of 15 to 25% in mango prices over the last week. Retail vendors in areas like Market Yard, Kothrud, and Camp have confirmed that the prices are expected to remain high for the next few days due to continued high demand following Akshay Tritiya.

Sunil Pawar, a fruit wholesaler at Market Yard, said, “We see this trend every year and the demand increases sharply around Akshay Tritiya as families begin buying mangoes in bulk. This year however, unseasonal rains in Konkan have affected supplies, especially of Alphonso mangoes, pushing the rates up even further. We are selling Alphonso at ₹700 to ₹800 per dozen depending on the size and quality.”

The impact is being felt across all households, with many citizens voicing concerns over affordability. Meenal Joshi, a homemaker from Karve Nagar, said, “Akshay Tritiya is an auspicious day for us, and we always start eating mangoes after performing puja at home. But this year the prices are so high, I had to think twice before buying even a single dozen. I ended up buying smaller mangoes to stay within the budget.”

While Suresh Patil, a retired government employee from Hadapsar, shared, “I’ve been eating Alphonso mangoes every summer since childhood, but at ₹1,000 per dozen, it’s becoming a luxury now. These seasonal traditions are important to us, but the way prices are going, middle-class families will have to cut back. It’s disheartening,”

Despite the price hike, fruit vendors and markets remain crowded, with citizens determined to maintain festive traditions. However, there is growing concern that unless supply improves in the coming weeks, mangoes may remain an expensive treat this summer.