Bharat Khatiwada, president of Vegetables Wholesalers Association ia Kalimati, said around 2,000 tons of vegetables arrived at the Kalimati wholesale market. “Huge pile of vegetables stuck at farms for last six days have arrived in the capital after the withdrawal of the strike,” Khatiwadi told Republica. [break]
The Maoists have since Friday allowed the transport of fresh vegetables and dairy products, considering the huge loss being suffered by farmers.
However, only a nominal volume of vegetables has entered the valley from other districts.
“Most of the vegetable products have come from the districts around the capital. Vegetables from tarai districts haven´t entered the capital as most of the traders aren´t still confident to ferry the vegetables,” said Khatiwada.
Vegetables such as cauliflowers, smooth gourds, cabbages, tomatoes, better gourd, green chilly are coming in mainly from Chitwan, Dhading, Nuwakot, Kavre, Dolakha, and Makawanpur.
“More than 400 tons of vegetables has arrived from Dhading alone,” said Khatiwada.
Traders said with the huge arrivals in the capital, price of vegetables has gone down in the market.
Fresh vegetables such as cowpeas, potatoes, smooth gourds, squash, better gourds and cauliflowers have dropped as compared the prices before the strike.
Though the resumption of supplies of vegetables brought relief to the residents of capital, the farmers aren´t upbeat. Farmers are compelled to sell their products at cheaper prices due to abundant supplies on Saturday.
However, fruits wholesale market in Kuleshwar, the largest fruit market of the country, is still to see the resumption of supplies as most of the fruits to be imported from China and India.
“It takes at least two days to arrive fresh fruits in the capital. Highly perishable fruits such as watermelon and papaya have been exhausted.We are selling fruits whatever available in our stocks,” said Deependra Shrestha, treasurer of Fruits Wholesalers Association in Kuleshwar wholesale market.
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