Vegetable prices double amid rainfall disruptions

Kathmandu, Nov 1: Consumers in Kathmandu are now shocked by sudden surge in vegetable prices. 

On Friday, many consumers complained about the skyrocketing prices of vegetables. A few who reached the local vegetable markets returned home without buying any vegetables as they found them highly expensive.  

"I did not buy anything today when the local shopkeeper asked me Rs. 70 for a small bundle of spinach," said Nilima Ghimire of Old Baneshwor. 

Similar were the views of Binod Sharma of Koteshwor. "It is not known why the prices of vegetables have skyrocketed today. Unable to buy anything, we enjoyed Gubndruk today," he said.

Many retailers blamed the continuous rainfall for the price rise. 

According to Binaya Shrestha, Information Officer of the Kalimati Fruits and Vegetable Market Development Board (KFVMDB), continuous rains since Wednesday night have affected transportation and reduced vegetable supplies to the Kathmandu Valley, leading to the price rises. 

“The supply of vegetables has been impacted by the rains, which has resulted in the surge of their prices,” Shrestha said. He added that wholesale prices at the Kalimati market have nearly doubled in just two days.

The wholesale prices of tomatoes, potatoes, beans, brinjal, cabbage, cauliflower, capsicum, bitter gourd, radish, and okra have gone up noticeably.

Over the last two days, the price of tomatoes rose by 70 per cent, cauliflower by 100 per cent, brinjal by 108 per cent, bitter gourd by 76 per cent, beans by 60 per cent, and cabbage by 20 per cent, according to the KFVMDB data.The supply of vegetables in the Kalimati market dropped by around by 70 per cent in two days because of rainfall.  

Shrestha explained that the decline in vegetable supply is partly seasonal, as the production of rainy-season vegetables has come to an end, and winter vegetables have not yet arrived in the market. 

“Around 400 tonnes of vegetables, including potatoes and onions, were entering the Kalimati market daily until two days ago, but only 100 tonnes arrived in the market on Friday,” he noted.

Traders at the Kalimati wholesale market also reported sharp rise in the vegetable prices. 

A wholesaler of Kalimati market, Bhagawan Chandra Upreti, said that nearly all vegetables, except onions, have witnessed high price rises.  

Especially, the price of tomatoes increased to Rs. 90 per kg from Rs. 52 per kg in two days, he said. 

Similarly, the price of cauliflower increased up to Rs. 180 per kg from Rs. 80 per kg, beans to Rs. 150 per kg from Rs. 100, bitter gourd to Rs. 100 per kg from Rs. 55, bottle gourd to Rs. 80 per kg from Rs. 55 and yardlong bean to Rs. 140 per kg from Rs. 100. Likewise, the prices of potatoes increased to Rs. 86 per kg, carrots to Rs. 125 per kg, cabbage to Rs. 70 per kg, radish to Rs. 55 per kg, and brinjal to Rs. 65 per kg.

Upreti said that the price of green coriander has gone up threefold in two days. 

A kilogram of green coriander was sold at Rs. 1,000 per kg in the wholesale market on Friday, while its price was only Rs. 300 per kg three days ago.  He added that green coriander was sold at the rate of Rs. 1,300 per kg in the retail market on Friday.

The prices of vegetables have almost doubled also in the retail market. 

However, he expressed hope that once the weather condition improves, vegetable supplies will be normal, and the prices may also drop. 

Likewise, the prices of sweet potatoes and cocoyam have risen sharply in the Kathmandu market in recent days due to increased demand ahead of Ekadashi, which falls on Saturday. On Ekadashi, people eat these tubers. 

“Demand for sweet potatoes and cocoyam has surged as people are preparing to mark Ekadashi. As a result, their prices have increased significantly over the past few days,” said Shrestha.

According to KFVMDB, the price of both sweet potatoes and cocoyam increased by Rs. 25 per kilogram in a single day on Friday. 

Currently, these items are being sold at Rs. 100 per kilogram each at the Kalimati wholesale market