Mutton lovers are paying through their nose for their indispensable curry as the lockdown enters its fourth week. The price of the popular goat meat in Kathmandu Valley has hit Rs1,500-1,800 per kg, up Rs300-500 per kg over the month.

With most of the butcher's shops closed after their supply was cut off, the few that are still in business are engaging in price gouging, consumers said.

Prem Bahadur Shrestha, owner of Prem Meat Shop at Sinamangal, said he sells mutton for Rs1,500 per kg. Shrestha bought some goats from Sindhupalchok himself as his regular suppliers couldn't bring any due to the lockdown.

“I closed my shop for two weeks after running out of stock, but my customers kept asking for mutton.” He says he bought some goats for the New Year celebration, and was soon sold out.

Demand for mutton has swelled, but supply is sufficient to fulfil the valley's requirement, said a consumer rights activist.

“Hiking the price of mutton by Rs300-500 per kg is price gouging,” said Madhav Timilsina, president of the Consumer Rights Investigation Forum.

Mutton cost Rs1,200-1,300 per kg before the lockdown began. Consumer rights activists said they were receiving complaints of shopkeepers charging customers up to Rs2,000 per kg.

Shrestha said that prices had shot up due to the high transportation costs. Demand has shrunk with many people leaving the valley for their hometowns and local restaurants and hotels being shuttered.

Anil Khadgi, former vice-chairman of the Nepal Fish and Meat Sellers Association, said that mutton had become dearer because shipments from India have come to a complete halt, and domestic suppliers are not able to ship goats to the valley.

Khadgi said that prices would not stabilise until the lockdown ends and regular transportation resumes.

Over the past week, the Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection Management fined two butcher's shops Rs200,000 each for overcharging customers.

The department slapped fines on Kalu Meat Centre of Baneshwor and Muskan Masu Pasal of Battisputali after receiving complaints that they were charging exorbitant prices for mutton.

Consumer activist Timilsina said that livestock supply was sufficient to fulfil demand in the valley, but traders were attempting to profit off the lockdown by citing high freight charges and reduced shipments as a pretext to jack up prices.

Farmers are forced to sell their products cheaply while traders are taking advantage of the difficult situation by charging high prices, he added.

Sabin Mishra, director at the Commerce Department, said that they were conducting market inspection on the basis of complaints received from consumers. The government has not halted the shipment of livestock, he said, adding that traders wishing to supply animals were being quarantined.