13 Jan
Fresh strawberries from PyinOoLwin Township have started to arrive Mandalay fruit depots in early January, the growers said.
This year, it is about one-month late harvesting. The market is sluggish amid the slump in demand triggered by the COVID-19 impacts. The opening price is K8,000 per viss (a viss equals to 1.6 kg). However, the fruit depot owners from Yangon and Mandalay offer only K6,000 per viss, said Ko Phoe Thar, a grower from Pinleinthapyay village of PyinOoLwin Township.
“During the early harvest time, an acre produces only six visses every other day. Earlier, the plants produced fruits in December. This year, it can be harvested only in early January. COVID-19 impacts negatively affected the market. Nevertheless, strawberries cannot be flowed into the country by China this year amid the pandemic. As a result of this, the price is unlikely to drop during the plentiful harvest period (May). It may fetch K2,000 per viss,” he continued.
Usually, strawberries can be plucked up to April-end. An acre can produce 1,500 visses per season. However, the yield may vary depending on the weather condition. Strawberries generally prefer plenty of sunlight.
“When we looked back the previous years, the price of strawberries plunged to K1,200 in March, and it climbed up to K2,000-3,000 per viss in the post-Thingyan period (mid-April)”, a grower affirmed.
Strawberry is a lucrative fruit for families in Pyin Oo Lwin to earn for a living.
Min Htet Aung (Mandalay sub-printing house) (Translated by Ei Myat Mon)
