Binay Shrestha, senior planning officer at Kalimati Fruits and Vegetables Market Development Board, said arrivals of vegetables at the Kalimati Vegetables Market dropped to 308 tons on Monday from 319 tons recorded on Sunday. A total of 436 tons of vegetables hand arrived at the Kalimati market on Saturday. [break]
“Current volume of vegetable arrivals in the market is far lower than the figures recorded on normal days,” Shrestha said.
The market receives about 500 tons of vegetables on normal days. Daily arrivals of agro-products - vegetables, fruits, spices and fish -used to be in the range of 650 to 700 tons during flush season. A total of 423 tons of vegetables, fruits, spices and fish combined entered the market on Monday.
Vegetable traders say production and supplies have been affected as farmers are busy in paddy plantation. “Supplies have been declining for the past few days as most of the farmers in key producing areas are busy in paddy plantation,” Bharat Khatiwada, president of Vegetable Wholesalers Association at the Kalimati market, said.
He also said many farmers are using vegetables farms as paddy fields. “Increasing attacks of diseases on crops due to incessant rainfall is another factor that has led to decline in production,” he added.
The short supply of vegetables in the market has directly impacted market prices. According to Kalimati Fruits and Vegetables Market Development Board, the wholesale prices of big tomatoes, small tomatoes and carrots have risen to Rs 30, Rs 22 and Rs 55 per kg on Tuesday from Rs 24, Rs 18 and Rs 54 respectively recorded a week ago.
Similarly, French bean and bitter gourd are selling for Rs 40 and Rs 38 per kg, up from Rs 32 and Rs 24 per kg respectively. Price of bottle gourd and smooth gourd also increased to Rs 32 per kg each from Rs 20 and Rs 24 respectively recorded a week ago.
Similarly, price of Nepali garlic, Chinese garlic and cucumber also went up to Rs 120, Rs 140 and Rs 50 per kg from Rs 105, Rs 135 and Rs 45 per kg over the period.
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