Kathmandu, October 8

The price of major vegetables has started to go up in the retail market over the last few days following short-supply.

Among others, retail price of vegetables like potato, onion, tomato, brinjal, French bean, soyabean green, bitter gourd and pointed gourd, among others have started to surge in the market.

Officials of the Kalimati Fruit and Vegetables Market Development Board (KFVMDB) have cited the recent increase in price of vegetables to declining supply in Kathmandu Valley.

“Vegetable supply in Kathmandu Valley has been dwindling for the past few days thereby making major vegetables costlier in the market,” said Ramesh Dangol, planning officer at KFVMDB.

As per KFVMDB officials, the Kathmandu Valley is currently receiving 600 tonnes of vegetables per day against 700 tonnes per day of vegetables being received four-five days ago.

According to Dangol, farmers have been reducing vegetable supply in Kathmandu Valley citing low production. “Farmers have been saying that vegetable production has come down significantly following the adverse monsoon this year,” said Dangol.

The statistics prepared by KFVMDB show that the price of tomato has increased by Rs 20 per kg to Rs 55 a kg in the last four days. Similarly, price of onion has increased by Rs 10 per kg to Rs 65 per kg over the review period.

Other vegetables like French bean and soyabean green have also witnessed sharp increase in their retail price. While the price of soyabean green has increased by Rs 30 per kg to Rs 85 a kg in the last few days, the retail price of French bean has increased by Rs 20 per kg to Rs 95 per kg.

Similarly, the price of pointed gourd and brinjal has increased by Rs 10 per kg each in the last few days. Pointed gourd and brinjal are being retailed at Rs 75 per kg and Rs 55 per kg, respectively. Likewise, price of potato has also increased by three rupees per kg to Rs 38 a kg.

However, price of pumpkin and barelaa (Balsam Apple) has come down in the last four days. While the price of pumpkin has come down by Rs 10 a kg to Rs 45 per kg, barela has become cheaper by Rs 30 per kg to Rs 55 a kg.