KAKINADA: Lemon costs are escalating as more individuals are taking in lemon juice for its vitamin C, which is expected to construct immunity against Covid-19.

Regrettably, yield of lemons in the state has actually been poor.As an outcome, their rates have actually gone up between Rs.

2,500 and Rs.

4,500 per 45-kg bag in wholesale market.

Traders state prices of the fruit will stay high for a month.

Sources said lemon crop is cultivated over more than 60,000 acres, primarily in Nellore, West Godavari and Prakasam districts.

Owing to cyclone and floods taking place thrice in 2015, lemon crop had got harmed in the flowering phase.

Currently, most of the crop is in the growth phase.

By the time it comes for harvest, it may be third week of May.At present, size of the fruit entering into the marketplace is little.

Yet the cost is high.

We are not purchasing lemon fruit in big quantities as customers are purchasing them in smaller sized amounts due to high prices.

An individual who utilized to purchase more than a dozen fruits is now purchasing just three or 4 lemons.

Traders in Kakinada market are getting orders just for 35-- 45 bags daily, as against 100 to 200 bags previously, stated R.

Gangadhar, a wholesale trader of lemons.

The majority of the crop coming to Kakinada and Rajamahendravaram is from Eluru.Local traders have also implicating wholesale traders of buying the fruit at cheaper costs from farmers and storing them in cold storages, thus producing a synthetic shortage, causing higher prices.Horticulture deputy director S.

Rammohan said lemon crop is being cultivated in Nellore, Prakasam and West Godavari to a large extent and in lesser quantities in East Godavari, Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram districts.

He encouraged farmers to grow the crop carefully based upon seasons for getting an excellent crop and rates.

He pointed out that intake of vitamin C through lemon fruit along with other vegetables and fruits has increased vastly following a rise in Covid-19 circumstance.