Andhra Pradesh: Fruit, flower prices up as festival season begins

VISAKHAPATNAM: With the festival season beginning with the Varalakshmi Vratham on Friday, traders have increased the prices of fruits and flowers across the state. The prices may further shoot up in the coming days.
On Thursday, people had to cope with high cost of flowers, fruits, betel leaves, and other puja material.
Women in parts of state thronged the jewellery shops on Wednesday and Thursday as there is a belief that at least a small gold item should be bought for the Varalakshmi Vratham.The roads at several places in Vizag city were choked by traffic snarls as buyers scrambled to make purchases.
Cashing in on the demand, the traders increased the prices of fruits and flowers by nearly 30 per cent. One dozen of bananas were being sold at 90 on Thursday. The same were sold at 60 per dozen a few days ago, said M Radha, a housewife in Vizag city. Not only bananas, prices of apples, grapes, sweet lemon, and others have gone up, she added.
Flowers like chrysanthemum were sold at 30 a dozen in some markets, but it was double the amount in other places. The cost of flowers ranged from 40 to 80 depending on the variety.
Traders claim shortage of supply of fruits from rural pockets following crop damage.