Data compiled by Kalimati Fruits and Vegetables Market Development Board show vegetable and fruit supply declined to 454 tons and 64 tons on Saturday from 512 tons and 71 tons, respectively. During normal days, supply of vegetables used to stand at around 650 tons a day.
Similarly, volume of spices and fresh fish entering into the Kalimati market plummeted to 23 tons and seven tons on Saturday from 33 tons and eighht tons a week ago.
With the sharp fall in supplies, prices of fresh vegetables and fruits coming from the Tarai have significantly gone up. Meanwhile, prices of fruits and fish delivered from India via the Tarai have also shot up.
For example, retail price of big tomatoes and small tomatoes rose to Rs 48 and Rs 50 per kg from Rs 28 and Rs 25 per kg, respectively. Prices of red potato and local cauliflower become have gone up by Rs 2 and Rs 5, respectively, from Rs 20 and Rs 40 per kg.
Price of fresh fish has gone up significantly to Rs 170 per kg from Rs 130 per kg. Similarly, prices of fruits like banana and pomegranate have shot up over the week.
“Delivery of agriculture items -- mainly vegetables -- has been disrupted for the past four days as key districts supplying the vegetables to the Valley are witnessing the Tharuhat strike,” said Tulsi Prasad Gautam, director of the board. The Tharu protest has been affecting mainly Chitwan, Sarlahi and Nawalparasi.
Gautam said traders had somehow managed to deliver some vegetables to Kathmandu through Sindhuli-Banepa and Sindhuli-Udayapur-Katari route by bypassing the strike-hit East-West Highway.
Officials at the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives said the prices of vegetables will further go up in the coming days if drought continued in the coming days.
“While analyzing the impact of drought in major vegetable producing districts, vegetable prices will go further up in the coming days due to declining production,” Dr Hari Dahal, spokesperson for the ministry.
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