Prices of most of the vegetables and fruits have seen an upswing over the past month in the Kathmandu Valley amid a drop in supply.

The Kalimati Fruits and Vegetable Market on Sunday reported a drop in shipments, putting upward pressure on prices of popular vegetables such as ladyfinger, cauliflower, egg plant and bitter gourd.

“Production usually declines during the dry season causing significant changes in the prices,” Manoj Dhital Senior Market Officer at Kalimati Fruits and Vegetable Market Development Board said. “A month ago, 640 tonnes of fresh vegetables and fruits  entered on a daily basis, but the quantity has now declined to around 400 tonnes.”

As of March 27, local vendors are selling cauliflower at Rs85-90 against Rs35 a month ago. Retail prices of lady finger, egg plant and bitter gourd jumped 21 percent, 14.58 percent and 9.52 percent, respectively, over the past month.

On the other hand, an increase in supply of green leafy vegetables has led to a drop in their prices. Almost all green leafy vegetables like mustard greens, spinach, fenugreek leaves and garden cress saw decline in retail prices by 21 to 30 percent. Traders said green leafy vegetables are locally produced and are seeing improved supply.

“Farmers around Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur, among other places, are supplying more than enough green leafy vegetables causing a drop in the prices,” Durga Lal Shrestha, a fresh vegetable trader at the Kalimati market said. “The prices are expected to fall further.”

Meanwhile, popular summer fruits like pineapple and cucumber have become dearer by around 200 percent, while watermelon and papaya saw small drops in prices.

Current daily demand of vegetables in the Valley stands at around 1,000 tonnes and more than 70 percent of the demand is fulfilled by the Kalimati market followed by Balkhu Fruits and Vegetables Market.