Vegetable prices up by threefold within week in Kathmandu Valley

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, July 12:The prices of most vegetable items have started skyrocketing in the Kathmandu Valley since last week.

According to the Kalimati Fruits and Vegetable Market Development Board (KFVMDB), the price of vegetables have started to soar in the Valley with the onset of monsoon.

Binaya Shrestha, information officer of the Kalimati Fruits and Vegetable Market Development Board, said that the prices of most vegetables in the market have increased due to disruption in transport services caused by incessant rains in vegetable supply.

"There was problem in transportation due to landslide caused by the continuous rains in different places since last Friday and the supply of vegetables has been affected which led to soaring their prices significantly,” he said.

According to him, the prices of vegetable had gone up by threefold within a week in the Kalimati wholesale market.

The wholesale price of tomatoes, beans, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, capsicum, bitter gourd and okra has gone up noticeably.

In last 10 days, the price of tomatoes increased by 185 per cent while the price of mushroom increased by 176 per cent, bitter gourd by 208 per cent, beans by 168 per cent, cabbage by 73 per cent and cauliflower by 43 per cent, according to the KFVMDB.

The supply of vegetables in the Kalimati market dropped by around 40 per cent in last one week due to low production and difficulty in transportation of vegetables.

“Around 400 tonnes of vegetables, including potatoes and onions, are entering Kalimati market daily at present, while it was above 600 tonnes almost two weeks ago,” he said.

Currently, the Kalimati market receives seasonal vegetables from the districts neighbouring Kathmandu Valley such as Makawanpur, Dhading and Kavrepalanchowk, besides a few districts from the Tarai like Chitwan and Sarlahi.

The production of local vegetables has decreased due to rains while some farmers plant paddy by destroying the vegetable farm, he said, adding that the supply of local vegetables will remain low for a month.

Especially, the price of tomatoes increased to Rs. 65 per kg from Rs. 22 per kg within a week, he said. Until two weeks ago, the tomatoes were not sold in the market and were rotting in the farmer's fields.

Similarly, within a month, the price of mushroom increased to Rs. 276 per kg from Rs. 100 per kg, beans to Rs. 210 per kg from Rs. 68, bitter gourd to Rs. 110 per kg from Rs. 36, bottle gourd to Rs. 95 per kg from 55 and yardlong beans to Rs. 145 per kg from Rs. 54.

However, the prices of vegetables have almost doubled in the retail market compated to the wholesale market price.

"We have to pay a high price for vegetables in the retail market compared to the wholesale market. It is natural to pay high prices compared to wholesale market prices due to the profit margin of retailers. But the retailers are selling vegetables at double the wholesale price," said consumer Radhika Shrestha of Ghattekulo, Kathamndu.

She said that vegetable consumers have been cheated while buying daily kitchen items from the retailers due to absence of government in market monitoring.

"I bought a kg of okra at Rs. 150, a kg of tomatoes at Rs. 120 per kg and half kg of cauliflower at Rs. 70 on Thursday morning," she said, "concerned bodies should monitor the market effectively to provide relief to the consumers to consume vegetables in line with the wholesale prices.”

The price of vegetables is far different between the retailers, so how to know the actual price of vegetables, she asked. 

Trader of Kalimati wholesale market Bhagawan Chandra Upreti said that the prices of almost all vegetables, except potatoes and onions, have increased drastically.

In the wholesale market on Thursday, a kilo of cabbage was being sold at Rs. 45, cauliflower at Rs. 95, brinjal at Rs. 95, potatoes at Rs. 66, onions at Rs. 92 and okra at Rs. 110. 

“The continuous rainfall has hit vegetable supply to the market. So it is predictable that the prices will go higher in the coming days,” Upreti.

He said that there was no import of green vegetables from India to Kalimati market. However, large quantity of potatoes, onions, lemons are being imported from India. 

Due to price hikes, farmers are getting good income while selling vegetables but the consumers are hit hard, he said.

Farmers who were forced to sell a kg of tomatoes below Rs. 10 two weeks ago are now selling them at more than Rs. 40 per kg from their farm, he said.