Unseasonable weather has played a cruel trick on Indians this year, raising temperatures to record levels while making one of the most popular summer drinks, lemonade, too expensive for most.
The price of limes in India has soared since February, leading local media to dub the fruit “sour gold”. In places such as New Delhi and Mumbai, one lime can cost at least 10 rupees, about five times the price three months ago.
A kilogram sells for between 250 and 300 rupees ($3.30-$3.90), more than the minimum daily wage of about 180 rupees.
Limes, often called lemons in India despite being a different fruit, are a staple ingredient in many Indian dishes. Demand soars in the summer, when street carts selling lemonade, popularly known as “shikanji”, usually have long lines of customers waiting to quench their thirst.
But not this year, thanks to the soaring price and a heatwave that has raised temperatures in some areas to levels not recorded for more than 120 years.
“As lemons are essential for most summer drinks and salads, we ended up buying them for 20 rupees apiece last week,” Arshi Aggarwal, a marketing professional, told The National.
“They do get costly in summer, but this time it felt like we were buying saffron instead of lemons,” she said, likening the fruit to the world's most expensive spice.
Lemonade sellers say they have had to nearly double their prices, from about 15 rupees a glass to 25 rupees.
Since it is too hot, not many people are stepping out and those who are, are unable to afford the drink
Mohammed Kalim,
lemonade seller in New Delhi
“Because of the cost of limes I had to increase the price of shikanji. But since it is too hot, not many people are stepping out and those who are, are unable to afford the drink … everything is already expensive,” said Mohammed Kalim, who runs a lemonade kiosk at the railway station in Nizamuddin, one of the biggest in Delhi.
On average, India produces more than 3 million tonnes of limes annually from two to three harvests. The increase in prices this year is mainly because of the effect of freak weather on the latest crop. First, unseasonal rainfall in October as the trees were flowering, and then the onset of the heatwave that affected the fruit before they were due for harvest in March.
Recent sharp increases in fuel prices have contributed by raising transportation costs.
The high price of limes has attracted the attention of criminals, with hundreds of kilograms reported stolen from orchards and shops in recent weeks.
In northern Uttar Pradesh state, lime growers posted guards armed with sticks to protect their crop after thieves stole 750kg from an orchard in Kanpur city. About 100 kilos were stolen from a warehouse in the state's Bareilly district. On Friday, a farmer in Surat, in the western state of Gujarat, reported the theft of 150kg of limes.
Limes are now considered valuable enough to make wedding gifts, with a groom in Gujarat receiving two boxfuls last month.
“I have been selling limes for the past 30 years but this is the first time prices have shot up like this,” said Mohammed Raees, a wholesaler at Delhi’s Okhla vegetable market.
“Not many people are buying limes.”
Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Atalanta v Juventus (6pm)
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Monday
SPAL v Genoa (11.45pm)
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Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
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Price: From Dh650,000
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
The biog
Name: Shamsa Hassan Safar
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Degree in emergency medical services at Higher Colleges of Technology
Favourite book: Between two hearts- Arabic novels
Favourite music: Mohammed Abdu and modern Arabic songs
Favourite way to spend time off: Family visits and spending time with friends
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Company profile
Date started: Founded in May 2017 and operational since April 2018
Founders: co-founder and chief executive, Doaa Aref; Dr Rasha Rady, co-founder and chief operating officer.
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: Health-tech
Size: 22 employees
Funding: Seed funding
Investors: Flat6labs, 500 Falcons, three angel investors
88 Video's most popular rentals
Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.
Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Notable Yas events in 2017/18
October 13-14 KartZone (complimentary trials)
December 14-16 The Gulf 12 Hours Endurance race
March 5 Yas Marina Circuit Karting Enduro event
March 8-9 UAE Rotax Max Challenge
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tuesday results:
- Singapore bt Malaysia by 29 runs
- UAE bt Oman by 13 runs
- Hong Kong bt Nepal by 3 wickets
Final:
Thursday, UAE v Hong Kong
Dubai World Cup factbox
Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)
Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)
Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)
Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)
if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
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Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
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Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
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Engine: 5-litre V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 520hp
Torque: 625Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.8L/100km
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Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
