VEGETABLE PRICES SOAR WITH RICE PLANTING IN FULL SWING

VEGETABLE prices have soared in the Kathmandu valley due to a shortfall in supply as fields have been planted with rice with the monsoon in full force. Wholesale prices of major vegetables like tomato, potato, onion, eggplant, carrot, bitter gourd and bottle gourd have increased by Rs 3 to Rs 20 per kg in the last two weeks, according to the Kalimati Fruits and Vegetables Market Development Board. “The Kalimati wholesale market has been receiving only 500 tonnes of vegetables daily compared to 650-700 tonnes before,” said Arjun Aryal, director at the board. According to him, supply has been affected by the paddy plantation with the beginning of the rainy season. According to the board, wholesale prices of cow pea, bottle gourd, squash and round eggplant have almost doubled in the last two weeks. Similarly, big tomato has become dearer by Rs 5 per kg while both red and white potatœs have become dearer by Rs 3 per kg. “Farmers from Kavrepalanchok district have reported that they are suffering losses on potato due to rainwater,” said Aryal. Kavrepalanchok is the major supplier of potato to the valley. Meanwhile, retailers have also reported a shortage of veggies. Saraswoti Khadka, a retailer who runs a stall at the Baneshwor Vegetable Market, said the vegetables that were harvested at the start of the rice transplantation have nearly been sold. “As a result, the supply of vegetables has dropped significantly,” she added. According to her, the Baneshwor market has been receiving only 10- 12 mini-trucks of vegetables daily compared to 16-17 mini-trucks previously. Similarly, the wholesale price of dry onion has increased by Rs 8 per kg. The local market depends mostly on onions imported from India. Khadka said onion prices had surged in India too in recent days. She added that vegetable prices would keep climbing for the next few weeks. Pramesh Bhandari, a retailer at the Shantinagar Vegetable Market, said shipments of vegetables from Makwanpur and Dhading districts had declined. The valley receives most of its vegetables from Dhading, Kavre, Makwanpur, Chitwan, Parsa and Sarlahi districts. The retail price of Indian big tomato is Rs 70 per kg while the local product costs Rs 40 per kg. Similarly, red potato costs Rs 32 per kg, carrot Rs 60 per kg and cauliflower Rs 60 per kg. Bhandari said these three items had become dearer as traders were selling stock preserved in cold stores.