Soaring lemon prices leave a sour taste

When life gives you lemons…” appeared to be the catchphrase online on Monday except one could not make lemonade as the price of the citrus fruit shot to Rs350 per kg in New Delhi, at last check. Prices of lemons have soared along with those of green chilli, tomatoes, onions, potatoes and other vegetables following an increase in fuel and transportation costs.

News reports quoted vegetable vendors saying they had stopped giving away chillies and coriander to customers for free. With the lemon prices rising sharply, just like the rates of petrol, diesel and LPG, Twitter saw a proliferation of cartoons, jokes and memes.

Cartoonist Manjul referred to reports of restaurant, food joint owners and customers alike despairing of the increase in the cost of nimbu paani, a summer staple. The varied uses of the lemon in India — from warding off evil to cleaning things — inspired many jokes.

Small restaurants and canteens have increased the prices of lemon drinks and taken them off the salad plates. President of the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Association, Girish Oberoi,

said, “Small hotels have stopped serving lemon.”

Oberoi said the sudden escalation in prices was mainly due to hike in fuel prices and also low output. He did not know when and how the prices would come down.

In Haryana, lemons are now available at Rs420 per kg, according to the grocery delivery app Blinkit. In Mumbai, the lemon prices are cheaper and are available at Rs320 a kg, as per the grocery delivery app Blinkit.

Meanwhile, this month, the price of lemon also surged in Gujarat’s Rajkot due to a shortage in supplies. Lemons were being sold at Rs200 per kg. This has come at a time when the prices of most commodities are seeing a steep rise.

— Price per kg of lemon

Delhi: `350 Kolkata: `284 Jaipur: `400 Noida: `428