Lemon rates skyrocket, poor produce to blame

Hisar, April 16

Lemon, the juice of which makes up a cool drink especially for the summer, has gone out of bounds of the common man with its price touching Rs 250 per kg.

A lemon seller in old sabji mandi, Hukam Singh, said that a number of consumers have stopped purchasing lemon due to exorbitant prices. “The prices are constantly above Rs 200 per kg and even touched Rs 250 per kg. The supply of lemon came from Maharashtra and Gujarat. The short supply from Gujarat due to low yield on account of untimely rain and storms is mainly to be blamed for the sudden spurt in lemon prices,” he said.

Ravinder Varma, a resident, said that lemon juice is the most-sought-after drink in Hisar and adjoining areas due to high temperature in summers. “But exorbitant prices have forced us to switch to other drinks like coconut water and “lassi”,” he said.