According to Nepal Fruits Wholesale Traders Association (NFWTA), the Kuleshwar Fruits Market is receiving an average of 15 truckloads of fruits a day, up from average daily arrivals of around 5 truckloads a month ago. A truck carries around 10-15 tons of fruits.[break] This means the market is receiving around 200 tons of fruits every day.
“The demand for fruits has increased. But good news is that the price has remained almost the same compared to last year, thanks to rise in supplies from India,” said Dipendra Shrestha, treasurer of NFWTA.
Shrestha said wholesale price of almost all the fruits, except apple, has remained constant for the past two weeks. “Prices, however, can increase anytime if price is increased in India or supply is disrupted,” he said, adding, “Price of apples, too, is going down due to improvement in supplies from China over the past two days.”
According to the association, demand for fruits used for making juices like orange, pineapple, grape, apple, sugarcane, banana and pomegranate, among others, has increased with the rise in temperature. “People consume more fruits in summer to beat the summer heat. It is natural for the demand for fruits to increase during warm summer days,” Shrestha added.
Apple is currently available in range of Rs 75 to 80 per kg, down from Rs 90 per kg recorded two days ago. Prices of other fruits have remained largely unchanged. Green grapes are currently available at Rs 70 to 80 per kg and black grapes at Rs 110 to Rs 120 per kg.
Similarly, orange is priced in range of Rs 48 to Rs 55 per kg, while banana costs Rs 36 per kg in the wholesale market. Pomegranate is available in price range of Rs 160 to Rs 210 per kg. Similarly, watermelon and papaya, whose season has just started, cost Rs 30 per kg each.
“Prices of watermelon and papaya will drop once fresh harvests reach the market,” added Shrestha.
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