According to Kalimati Fruit and Vegetable Market Development Board, wholesale prices of popular vegetables like cauliflower, brinjal, radish, green beans, tomato, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, pointed gourd and French beans have come down in range of Rs 1-12 per kg. [break]
“Prices have come down mainly due to rise in supplies from neighboring district as this happens to be the main harvesting season for some vegetables,” Binaya Shrestha, senior planning officer at the board said.
He further added that the Kalimati market has been receiving about 600 tons of vegetables a day, up from 500 tons a day recorded about a week ago.
Seasonal vegetables come from farms in neighboring districts such as Kavre, Dhading, Sarlahi and Chitwan.
Cauliflower has seen biggest price fall over the period. Cauliflower is currently selling at Rs 20 per kg, down from last week´s Rs 32 per kg. Similarly, prices of brinjal, radish and green beans come down by Rs 2 per kg each to Rs 22, Rs 19 and Rs 70 per kg respectively. French beans and bitter gourds are selling at Rs 38 and Rs 59 per kg respectively, down by Rs 3 per kg each. Bottle gourd and smooth gourd too are selling at lower price of Rs 29 and Rs 42 per kg respectively.
“The price will decrease further if rainfall is recorded in neighboring districts as it will boost production,” said Shrestha.
According to conservative estimates, the demand for vegetables in the capital hovers around 1,000 tons and the Kalimati market supplies about 70 percent of the demand.
Traders, however, haven´t reduced prices of vegetables in the retail market despite drop in wholesale prices. “We have kept the prices unchanged to make up for the loss they faced due to decaying of vegetables amid high temperature,” said Jit Bahadur Khatri, a vegetable retailer at Ghattekulo.
Dearer in Pokhara
POKHARA: Prices of seasonal vegetables have almost doubled in Pokhara after supplies dwindled due to massive hailstorms and bad weather in farms in major supplying districts.
Major seasonal vegetables are selling at around Rs 100 per kg each. Though wholesale prices of vegetables range from Rs 60-90 per kg, customers are forced to pay as much as Rs 130 per kg in the retail market.
Traders say supplies have dropped from key producing districts - Parsa, Dhading, Chitwan and Makawanpur, resulting in rise in prices.
Nawaraj Duwadi, a vegetable seller at Wholesale Vegetable Distribution Center, said prices of major vegetables have almost doubled compared to last month.
Lady´s finger is available at Rs 110 per kg, while beans and snake gourd are priced Rs 100 and Rs 120 per kg respectively. Similarly, radish, broccoli, French bean, bitter gourd and pointed gourd are available at Rs 60, Rs 80, Rs 90, Rs 110 and Rs 75 per kg respectively.
Green pumpkin costs Rs 60 per kg, while coriander leaves and tomato are available at Rs 110 per kg and Rs 55 per kg respectively.
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