Price of veggies, rice soar ahead of Dashain

Kathmandu, September 22

At a time when Valley consumers are in a shopping spree with the onset of the festive season, the price of vegetables and rice has surged significantly over the last few days.

While the price of major vegetable items at retail shops has surged by more than Rs 40 per kilogram in the past one week, different variety of rice have become dearer by as much as Rs 150 per sack.

However, traders have cited the increase in price of both vegetables and rice to supply constraints in Kathmandu Valley after the floods hit different parts of the Tarai.

“The supply of vegetables from the Tarai has been dwindling after the monsoon floods this year, resulting in a surge in their prices in the domestic market. Farmers have been cutting vegetable supply citing low production and effects of the floods,” said Ramesh Dangol, information officer at the Kalimati Fruits and Vegetables Market Development Board (KFVMDB).

According to KFVMDB, daily supply of vegetables has dropped by almost 150 tonnes to 600 tonnes in the Valley in recent times. The retail rate of different vegetables maintained by KFVMDB shows that price of tomatoes, potatoes, cauliflower, soyabean green, bottle gourd, pointed gourd and sponge gourd, among others has increased over the last one week.

While the price of tomatoes has increased by Rs 45 per kilogram to Rs 95 per kilogram in the past one week, potatoes have become dearer by Rs 10 per kg to Rs 45 a kg.

Similarly, price of cauliflower in the retail market has surged by Rs 10 a kilogram to Rs 95 per kilogram in the last one week, price of soyabean green has increased by Rs 20 per kg to Rs 75 a kg.

Likewise, price of bottle gourd, pointed gourd and sponge gourd has increased by Rs 10 a kilogram each to Rs 55 per kg, Rs 75 per kg and Rs 65 per kg, respectively.

The retail price of popular rice brands like Jeera Masino, Basmati and Sona Mansuli has also increased over the last one month. Retailers in the Valley have been selling Sona Mansuli at Rs 1,400 per sack against its price of Rs 1,300 per sack a month ago. Similarly, another variety of rice — Jeera Masino — has become dearer by Rs 140 per sack over last one month to Rs 1,690 per sack. Likewise, Basmati brand of rice has witnessed a surge in retail price by Rs 150 per sack to Rs 3,500.

Officials of Nepal Retailers Association (NRA) have attributed the growth in price of rice to sudden increase in its price by wholesalers. “Wholesalers have abruptly increased the price of different variety of rice citing the recent floods in the Tarai and transportation hazards, forcing retailers to increase the retail price of rice,” said Pabitra Man Bajracharya, president of NRA.

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