Prices of food commodities and dry fruits increased, while vegetables price came down significantly over the past month.Food commodities like rice and lentils have become dearer by as much as Rs 30 per kg. Retailers have attributed price hike to low supplies and soaring prices in India - the major source country - itself.
"Food prices are getting higher as we are not getting adequate supply," Bidur Shrestha, a retailer at Asan, told Republica, urging the government to do the needful for increasing supply. "If the supply is not raised in proportion to the rising demand, prices will increase further in the coming days."
Price of gram lentil increased by Rs 30 per kg to Rs 110 during the review period. Similarly, prices of green gram lentil and split pigeon lentil have gone up by Rs 10 per kg each to Rs 150 and Rs 120, respectively. Red lentil has become dearer by Rs 5 per kg to Rs 115, while price of black lentil has remained unchanged at Rs 138 per kg.
Pabitra Bajracharya, president of Nepal Retailers´ Association, said the recent rise in price of food commodities in Indian market is the reason behind surge in food prices in Nepal. "India is our major supplier (for food commodities). Any fluctuation in prices there affects prices here," he added.
Similarly, price of different varieties of rice has increased by as much as Rs 5 per kg over the period. Mansuli rice and Indian Basmati rice have become dearer by Rs 5 per kg each to Rs 50 and Rs 80, respectively, while price of Jeera Masino has increased by Rs 3 per kg to Rs 65.
Prices of dry fruits have also increased during the period. Almond has become dearer by Rs 75 per kg to Rs 1,100, while prices of pistachio and cashew nut have surged by Rs 150 per kg and Rs 80 per kg, respectively, to Rs 1,500 and Rs 980.
Retailers have blamed dry fruits suppliers for raising prices arbitrarily. "Importers are creating artificial shortage to increase prices on their own," Ujjawal Hada, a wholesaler of dry fruits at Indra Chowk, said.
There, however, is some relief for consumers as vegetables prices have come down significantly on the back of improved supplies. Prices of major vegetables like cauliflower, tomato, potato, and cabbage, among others, plunged during the period.
Price of cauliflower dropped to Rs 35 per kg on Sunday, down from Rs 45 per kg recorded a month ago. Similarly, prices of cabbage, tomato and potato have come down by Rs 10 per kg, Rs 5 per kg and Rs 4 per kg, respectively, to Rs 25, Rs 35 and Rs 25.
"The Kalimati market is receiving adequate supply of vegetables over the past few weeks. This has caused prices to come down," Ramesh Dangol, planning officer at the Kalimati Fruits and Vegetable Development Board, said.The market is receiving an average of 850 tons of vegetables a day at present.
Source:- myrepublica.com
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