With monsoon rains damaging roads and farmers getting busy in transplanting paddy, prices of most of the green vegetables in Kathmandu valley have started soaring.

Highways connecting Kathmandu Valley—Tribhuvan Highway, Prithvi Highway or BP Highway—are being obstructed time and again, impacting the supply chain. The Valley receives most of its vegetable supply from its surrounding districts. Some kitchen items are imported from India.

Paddy transplantation is underway in various parts of the country, but only around 16 percent of the total crop area has been planted by the end of June. This progress is shy of the 17.2 percent recorded during the same period last year, official figures show.

Within a gap of two weeks, vegetable prices have nearly doubled, according to the records with the Kalimati Fruits and Vegetable Market Development Board.

The wholesale prices of most vegetables like tomato, potato, onion, carrot, cabbage, radish, eggplant, cow pea, green pea, French bean, sword bean, soybean green, bitter gourd, pointed gourd, snake gourd, smooth gourd, sponge gourd, pumpkin, squash, okra, mushroom and chilli have gone up.

“The prices are on an upward trajectory with farmers planting paddy on vegetable fields, resulting in dwindling supplies. High temperatures and rain lead vegetables to decay quickly. As a result, prices have rocketed,” said Binay Shrestha, information officer at the Kalimati Fruits and Vegetable Market Development Board.

The highways had not been disrupted for a long time. This blockage makes vegetable supply fluctuate, Shrestha said.

With the major festivals approaching, Shrestha predicted that prices of vegetables will shoot up until the end of the festive season in October.

According to the Nepal Rastra Bank, the year-on-year consumer price inflation stood at 2.77 percent in mid-May, compared to 4.40 percent a year ago. Food and beverage inflation stood at 1.52 percent whereas non-food and service inflation remained 3.45 percent in the review month.

The inflation on vegetable prices declined by 8.11 percent during the review period.

Tomato small (tunnel) wholesale price has increased by 8.67 percent to Rs42.60 per kg. In retail, tomatoes are priced at Rs90 to Rs100 per kg.

Potatoes red, Indian and Mude have also increased by 5.45 percent, 11.76 percent and 2.70 percent, respectively. Potato red now costs Rs42.60 per kg, Potato red (Indian) is priced at Rs38 a kg and Potato red (Mude) Rs38. In retail, these varieties sell between Rs65 and Rs70 a kilo.

Onion wholesale price has grown 16.50 percent to Rs48 per kg. In retail, onion prices range from Rs65 to Rs70 per kg.

The wholesale price of eggplant has jumped 46.07 percent to Rs26 per kg in a span of two weeks. Eggplant sells for Rs75 to Rs80 per kg in retail.

Cowpea long and short wholesale prices have increased by 45.83 per and 63.04 percent to Rs35 per and Rs75 per kg, respectively.

The wholesale price of green peas has gone up 18.03 percent to Rs180 per kg.

The price of French beans (local) has jumped 18.03 percent to Rs48 per kg in wholesale. The retail price ranges from Rs70 to Rs80 per kg. The wholesale price of French beans (hybrid) has risen 53.60 percent to Rs48 per kg.

Sword bean price has jumped 47.06 percent to Rs75 per kg.

The wholesale price of soybean green went 17.02 percent up to Rs110 per kg. Seasonal soybean green is priced between Rs160 and Rs170 per kg retail.

Bitter gourd price grew 18.26 percent to Rs34 per kg wholesale at the Kalimati market. In retail, bitter guard prices range from Rs70 to Rs80 per kg.

Bottle gourd prices increased by 82.35 percent to Rs31 per kg. The vegetable is priced at Rs70 to Rs80 per kg in the retail market. The wholesale price of smooth gourd jumped 46.88 percent to Rs47 per kg.