Prices of fruits, vegetables ease down

KATHMANDU, Aug 31: Increasing supplies and lowering demands after the end of festive days have pushed down prices of vegetables and fruits in the market. Traders said continued rainfall for the last few weeks have increased vegetable production thereby improving supplies in major markets. [break]



"Lower demands for fruits and vegetables amid increasing supplies have dragged down the prices in the market," said Geeta Prasad Acharya, a vegetable wholesaler at Kalimati wholesale market.



According to Kalimati Fruits and Vegetables Market Development Board, which manages the Kalimati wholesale market, prices of major vegetables items such as tomato, potato, carrot, cabbage and cauliflower have gone down over the last few days. Prices of big tomato and small tomato declined to Rs 42 and Rs 40 from Rs 48 and Rs 50 per kg a week ago respectively. The price of red potato also declined by Re 1 per kg to Rs 34. Prices of carrot and cabbage also dropped to Rs 65 and Rs 28 per kg from Rs 80 and Rs 32. The price of cauliflower, one of the widely used vegetable varieties, also declined by Rs 16 to Rs 38 per kg.



Similarly, popular fruits like banana, water melon, cucumber and papaya also saw their prices decline during the period. Prices of banana and eased down to Rs 42 per dozen from Rs 45, while water melon is selling at Rs 42 down from Rs 50 per kg. Cucumber and papaya also became cheaper by Rs 25 and Rs 5 per kg over the period.



Binaya Shrestha, planning officer at the board, slowing demand and improvement in the supply led to the decline in prices of vegetables and fruits. According to the board, total daily arrivals of vegetables, fruits, spices and fish combined at the Kalimati market rose to 516 tons on Sunday up from 365 tons a week ago.

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