The sharpest rise in prices was recorded in case of pomegranate and guava. Pomegranate that was sold at Rs 175 per kg till a week ago was priced at Rs 250 per kg on Wednesday. [break]
Likewise, the price of guava has jumped from Rs 25 per kg to Rs 35 per kg. Fruits dealers have attributed the rise in prices to drop in supply from India - the major supplier.
Prices fixed by Nepal Fruits Wholesalers´ Association (NFWA) show that prices of fruits like apple, green apple, sweet orange, sugarcane, Mustang apple and orange, among others have increased in range of Rs 20 to Rs 30 per kg over the week.
Apple was traded at Rs 150 per kg on Wednesday, up from Rs 130 per kg recorded a week ago. Similarly, the price of green apple has increased by Rs 10 per kg to Rs 170 per kg.
However, price of some seasonal fruits have come down as it happens to be their harvesting season. Prices of papaya, pear and banana have come down by as much as Rs 15 per kg. Price of pear has dropped to Rs 90 per kg from Rs 100 per kg recorded a week ago, while banana is selling for Rs 30 per dozen, down from last week´s Rs 45 per dozen.
NFWA officials attributed the rise in prices of majority of fruits to the present lean season, something which caused supply to go down. “Prices of seasonal fruits, on the other hand, dropped because of improved supply,” said Arjun Parsad Humagain, a wholesaler.
Price of popular fruits has consistently increased in the market because Nepal largely depends on India and China to meet the local demand. "And supply at present is not that consistent," said Humagain.
Dipendra Shrestha, senior planning officer at NFWA, the capital is currently receiving around 150 tons of fruits every day, which is a normal supply volume for the season.
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