Records of Nepal Retailers Association (NRA) show that split pigeon pea has become expensive by over 60 percent, with its price touching Rs 130 a kilogram (kg) in third week of July as compared to January. The prices of split green gram and black gram also rose at similar rate to Rs 104 and Rs 100 respectively over the period. Price of broken lentil also shot up to Rs 110 per kg from Rs 90 per kg in January.
The prices of popular rice varieties too have gone up in a range of eight to 16 percent. For instance, Mansuli -- the most popular rice item - has also become dearer by Rs 4 and is presently priced at Rs 44 per kg. Jeera Mansuli rice has become expensive by Rs 4 per kg and is priced at Rs 56 per kg, while the price of Pokhreli rice has increased to Rs 56 from Rs 48 per kg.
Other widely used commodities like kidney bean and soybean also saw sharp price rise over the period. The price of kidney bean and soybean rose to Rs 88 and Rs 68 per kg from Rs 68 and Rs 56 respectively.
Worse further, vendors are selling commodities at prices that are at least Rs 5 to Rs 15 higher than NRA´s price list.
Retailers said that the commodities prices soared because wholesalers are raising the prices overnight. They said the trend of sudden revision of prices has increased after the budget announcement.
However, prices of edible oil have gone down over the period.
Responding to rise in hoarding and cartel that mainly fueled price rise, Kathmandu District Administration Office on Saturday raided warehouses of pulses, rice and edible oil of KL Dugar in Jadibuti, Bansal Traders of Pawan Bansal and Shyam Baba Enterprises of Pawan Agrawal in Kuleshwar.
Police also raided fruits and vegetables stores in Kuleshwar and Kalimati.
With coordinated efforts like these, Supplies Ministry officials are optimistic about putting an end to illegal practices such as hoarding, black marketing and collective price fixing by the traders, thereby reining inflation to 7 percent in 2009/10 fiscal from 13 percent of the previous year.
However, the government efforts could face a setback from the fact that the country is bracing a sharp decline in paddy production. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, which has estimated rice production to drop by around 4.5 million tons, has already apprised the government about this looming threat.
Related story
Groundwater for food security
