In Nepal, the vegetable prices have increased significantly as the festival of Dashain nears. Unfortunately, the consumer had to bear the brunt as the price of potatoes, onions, green beans, bitter gourd, and other green vegetables shot up by nearly 300%.
Prices of potatoes and onions have gone up significantly as the price of red potatoes has increased by Rs 43 and now costs Rs 58/kg. Similarly, the price of onions has gone from Rs 59/kg last week to Rs 89/kg on Wednesday.
Green beans, which was being sold for Rs 38 per kilogram on September 11 now costs as high as Rs 98. Similarly, the price of bitter gourd (karela) has risen by 136 per cent from Rs 33/kg to Rs 78/kg. Like bitter gourd, the price of loofah gourds too has gone up to Rs 78/kg from Rs 33.
Kalimati Fruits and Vegetables Wholesalers’ Association has said that prices of vegetables have not increased. The association’s president Bharat Khatiwada said talk of price hike was just rumours spread to give the association a bad name. “It’s raining and roads to Kathmandu has been affected. Due to that, there might be a shortage in the market that’s all. We haven’t raised the prices though,” Khatiwada adds.
On the other hand, the Kalimati Fruits & Vegetable Market Development Board blamed the incessant rain for the price hike. The board said that the price of onions had increased its price in India had increased and added that the price of other vegetables had increased due to the unavailability of the vegetables in the market. Also, according to english.onlinekhabar.com¸ Deputy Director of the board Binaya Shrestha said that farmers had taken higher prices for the vegetables.
