Kathmandu, June 22

Along with growing production, the price of vegetables has been gradually declining in the market.

Earlier, vegetables imported from India were temporarily halted for a few days during the Lok Sabha elections in the southern neighbour. Thus, the price had soared a month back.

However, now the vegetable prices have started going down.

According to Kalimati Fruits and Vegetable Market, the price of tomatoes is Rs 95 per kg on average in the retail market, while it was Rs 115 per kg a week back. Similarly, small tomatoes is priced at Rs 45 to Rs 55 per kg at the moment, while it stood at Rs 85 a kg last week.

Meanwhile, the price of local cauliflowers has dropped to Rs 110 a kg compared to Rs 125 per kg in the previous week. Likewise, the price of spinach (rayo ko saag) has declined by Rs 10 per kg on average.

Similarly, the price of green beans, fiddlehead ferns (Niuro), turnips (Salgam), green chillies and coriander (Dhaniya) has also declined in the market. As per traders, at the moment Nepali products are being supplied in the market and that is why the price of vegetables is gradually falling. “Finally, local produce are being supplied in the market, while a few weeks back we had to import the vegetables that made it costlier,” said President of Federation of Fruits and Vegetable Entrepreneurs in Nepal Khom Prasad Ghimire.

Along with the aforementioned vegetables, price of other vegetables will also go down gradually, he added.

Ghimire, however, said due to the problems related to quarantine at the Nepali borders, the price of vegetables may be affected.

“For the last two days, vehicles carrying vegetables have been halted at the border as the equipment to quarantine plants have malfunctioned,” he said, adding, “If the problem is not solved by Sunday, it may affect the market.”

Around 1,200 tonnes of vegetables are being consumed within Kathmandu Valley.

The government aims to make the country self-sufficient on vegetables.