Narayan Dhital, the president of Nepal Fruits Wholesalers´ Association, said demand for fruits grow by up to 40 percent during Dashain.[break]
“The Valley consumes 80 truckloads of fruits every day during the Dashain festival. On normal days, only 30 to 40 truckloads of fruit enter the capital,” Dhital added. He further added that 90 truckloads of vegetables entered Kathmandu on Tuesday.
Traders informed Republica that price has not increased much this time because of uninterrupted supply.
Apple, banana and sweet oranges are the most popular fruit varieties during Dashain. Apart from local production, traders have been importing apples from China to meet the festive demands. Major chunk of bananas consumed in the capital, however, are imported from India.
The wholesale price of Chinese apples at Kalimati market is between Rs 50 to Rs 60 per kg. However, locally produce apples are priced between Rs 70 to Rs 80 per kg. The price of bananas ranges between Rs 25 to Rs 30 per dozen.
Traders said prices will increase in a couple of days as they were forced to pay illegal tax at various places. “We are compelled to pay ´donations´ to more than 10 to 12 places while importing fruits from eastern Nepal. This increased the cost by about Rs 2,000 per truck,” Dhital added.
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