Increased intake of vitamin-C in pandemic boosts lemon business in Bangladesh

The Covid-19 pandemic has come as a boon for lemon traders, though the deadly virus has dragged down almost every other sector and spread panic around the world. Because of being rich with vitamin C, people are consuming more lemons to prevent Covid-19, doubling its trade compared to any other year. Lemons are being sold for Tk2-Tk3 per piece while they were earlier Tk1.5 apiece. Lemons worth Tk4 lakh-Tk5 lakh are sold from Srimangal of Moulvibazar every day, the traders said. A dozen of lemons is usually sold for up to Tk20 during the peak season - Boishakh-Ashwin or April-September. However, the price was two to three times higher even in the peak season last year after the onset of Covid-19. A dozen then sold for up to Tk40. Now that production has decreased in the off-season, the prices have jumped four to five times. At present, a dozen of lemons sells for Tk60 to Tk80. During the peak season, before Covid-19, seven to eight trucks of lemons worth about Tk2 lakh used to be ...