KATHMANDU: With the onset of Maghe-Sankranti, which falls on January 15, the price of yam has doubled compared to the day before yesterday. Come festivals and prices of products concerned with respective festivals almost double or triple. The wholesale rates have also gone up marginally and Kalimati Vegetable and Fruit Market (KVFM) is inundated with 15 different kinds of yam. “This year, inflow of yam is more than a thousand tonnes in just a week. Last year, we saw about 770 tonnes come into the valley during the entire month,” said Binay Shrestha, KVFM senior planning officer. Yam coming in from the Terai region is less expensive than that coming in from the hills, “Ban-Tarul” which comes in from Chitwan is the most expensive — priced between Rs 80 to Rs100 per kilo. The cheapest variety of yam is “Daura-Tarul” which is priced between Rs 20 to Rs 30 at KFVM. The retail market rate on the other hand is more expensive, as the cheapest available yam is priced between Rs 60 to Rs 80. “Very soon, we will have to begin to grow everything on our own,” said an anguished housewife. Shrestha added that the price of yam might go down tomorrow as the suppliers would want to finish off their stock since due to the inundation of yam in the market, this time the most feasible solution would be to sell it fast.