Kathmandu, September 28

The prices of daily essentials, including fruits and vegetables, have skyrocketed in the last five days due to short supply of the commodities in the local market, as the trucks and containers laden with the essential commodities have been unable to enter Nepal via India.

Despite the continuous protest in Tarai since over a month because of which Tarai farmers had been

unable to sell their produce in the market, the price of vegetables had not gone up significantly until now.

As the trucks and containers were unable to enter Nepal since Thursday, the vegetable prices have soared in the domestic market.

The price of potatoes (red and white) has increased by Rs 10 per kg each to Rs 55 and Rs 45, respectively. Similarly, price of brinjal has gone up by Rs 10 per kg to Rs 43 per kg. The price of cowpea, on the other hand, has shot up by whopping Rs 20 per kg to Rs 65 per kg, as against Rs 45 per kg last Thursday, according to Kalimati Fruits and Vegetables Market Development Board (KFVMDB).

Tejendra Prasad Paudel, executive director of KFVMDB, said that vegetable prices have rocketed due to short supply. “The uncertainty in import situation has also resulted in the price rise of vegetables.”

As per the price list of KFVMDB, prices of other vegetable and fruits have also increased heavily. The price rise, especially of potatoes and onions, is mainly due to uncertainty of import from India, according to Paudel. Price of dry onion has soared by eye-watering Rs 50 per kg compared with Rs 105 per kg last Thursday.

Even the price of other vegetables that are produced within the country has gone up due to low supply created by Tarai protests. Prices of pointed gourd (parwal) and balsam apple (barela) have increased by Rs 10 per kg each and their prices have been fixed at Rs 55 and Rs 75 per kg, respectively.

Likewise, price of fruits have also gone up substantively. Price of pomegranate has increased by Rs 20 a kg to Rs 255 per kg and that of pineapple by Rs 10 per piece to Rs 105. Price of guava has increased byRs 18 per kg to Rs 53 per kg, according to KFVMDB.

Price of fresh fish has also sky-rocketed by Rs 100 per kg (nearly 40 per cent) and is fixed Rs 355 per kg, compared to Rs 255 per kg on Thursday.