If you are having trouble finding fresh dates this season, then blame it on to the early monsoon. <img alt="" src="http://images.mid-day.com/2013/jul/Trader-Ishwar.jpg" style="width: 500px; height: 368px;" /> Fresh ones: Trader Ishwar Gadvi shows his stock of dates that he purchased recently Traders at the Agricultural Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) in Vashi claimed that in comparison to last year, this year the production of the fruit had dropped by 20 to 25 per cent. Currently, 30 tonnes of fresh dates have arrived at the market from Bhuj and Kutch. Traders said dates require minimal water, but the early arrival of monsoon has taken its toll on the production of the fruit. Ishwar Gadvi, a trader at the market, said, &ldquo;The sweeter the fruit, higher is the rate. However, its shelf life is very short. Therefore, if the quantity at the market doesn&rsquo;t get sold on time, we incur heavy losses. Any additional water coming in contact with the fruit can spoil the entire box. One box of the dates is generally known to contain about 10 or 20 kg of fruit.&rdquo; Dates are being sold anywhere between Rs 20 and Rs 150 per kg in the wholesale market, depending on the quality and sweetness of the fruit. &ldquo;Since the time the fruit started coming into the market, the demand has been good. About 10 tonnes were brought by me and were sold off easily,&rdquo; said Harish Vasanada, a trader. Suraj Thakkar, another trader, said it is rare to find dates after August as June and July are the only months the fruit is available in abundance, unless preserved and kept. 30 Tonnes of fresh dates that have arrived from Bhuj and Kutch u00a0

APMC traders say early monsoon has taken its toll on the production of dates, as the fruit requires minimal water

Early rains give rise to 'date' problems

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Early rains give rise to 'date' problems

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