Kathmandu- due to low supply, fruit prices have gone up. Declined imports from India, the main contribution to rise in the price, the major supplier of fruits to Nepal, traders said.
Summer fruits having shown a great price elevation by up to 50 percent over last week, especially prices of mangoes and watermelons have gone up. Having shown a drastic change, Malda mango is now sold for Rs 90 per kg which was Rs 60 per kg a week ago at Kuleshwor wholesale market. Dasheri mango has also shown a price up with Rs 65 per kg.
Over the last week, watermelon was sold for Rs. 35 and now it has soared upto Rs.50 per kg while oranges are sold for Rs 110 per kg which was at Rs 80 a week ago. This change has also impacted fuji apple and Jhole apple rose. With that said, even papaya, jackfruit and grapes prices have been changed.
Because of the change in apple price in the domestic market, there has been a change in the prices in china. The president of Nepal fruits wholesaler’s association, Amar Baniya said massive supply decline in china has pushed the prices upward.
Banana, being one of the fruits consumed all seasons showed up in price range of Rs 80 per dozen, from Rs 65. Supplied from Nawalparasi, Chitwan, Bara, Parsa and Sunsari, besides India, just about 60 percent of the bananas sold in the Capital come from India.
According to Nepal Rastra Bank statistics, 1.84 billion of fruits have been imported from formal channels as of first 10 months of the current fiscal year.
Due to the outcome of lower precipitation i.e. rainfall, during the flowering period, fruits supply was affected, Baniya said. There will also be a further rise in the price as consignments from India have dropped due to high demand there amid the Ramadan festival, Baniya adds.