KATHMANDU, JULY 26

Vegetable prices have surged in the last week due to the floods and landslides across the country. In the last one week vegetable prices have gone up by 50 per cent. Citing the recent floods and landslides traders have increased the price of green vegetables.

“The incessant rains have damaged crops and vegetables and landslides have affected supply due to which traders have increased vegetable prices,” said Khom Prasad Ghimire, vegetable trader at the Kalimati Fruits and Vegetable Market.

“Rain has affected most of the districts in the country. The hilly areas have faced damages and losses due to the landslides while the Tarai has suffered the consequences of inundation,” he said.

Ghimire further said that the price of vegetables has soared in the domestic market as supply from the hilly areas has been suspended with the closure of roads due to floods and landslides. The current season sees less vegetable production in the plains and a bit more in the hilly areas.

According to Kalimati Fruits and Vegetable Market Development Committee, landslides have disrupted various highways and affected supply. As supply has declined it is normal for prices to go up, mentioned Bharat Khatiwada, president of Kalimati Fruits and Vegetable Retail Market Association. As per him, around 500 tonnes of green vegetables are being supplied in the market at the moment.

As per the daily price list of Kalimati market, small tomatoes now cost Rs 35 per kg on average while a week ago it was Rs 18 a kg.

Similarly, local carrots cost Rs 62 per kg, cabbage costs Rs 30 per kg, radish costs Rs 55, green beans cost Rs 110 and bitter gourd costs Rs 48 per kg on average in the wholesale market. These vegetables used to cost Rs 52, Rs 18, Rs 42, Rs 42 and Rs 22 per kg, respectively, one week ago.

The price of spinach has also increased to Rs 75 per kg from Rs 55 a kg on average while price of green onion has reached Rs 115 a kg from Rs 75 per kg just a week ago. The wholesale price of lemon has also risen to Rs 115 per kg from Rs 85 a kg a week back. Meanwhile, the price of local cucumber is Rs 52 per kg while a week ago it used to cost Rs 45 a kg while the price of green chilly has reached Rs 55 a kg from Rs 45 per kg.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on July 27, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.