As the festival season advances, vegetable prices are shooting up with prices going as high as 233.33 percent in a month’s time. Traders said that increasing demand for vegetables ahead of Teej with the supply side remaining normal pushed up the prices.

According to the Kalimati Fruits and Vegetable Market Development Board, the wholesale prices of vegetables like tomato, potato, onion, carrot, cabbage, cauliflower, raddish, eggplant, cow pea, French bean, sword bean, bitter gourd, bottle gourd, pointed gourd, snake gourd, smooth gourd, sponge gourd, squash (long), squash (round), turnip, okra, mushroom, ginger and green chilli have gone upward.

“The demand for vegetables has increased in recent weeks due to the Teej events being organised ahead of the festival. However, with the supply side remaining stagnant and also being hit by rainfall, prices are on an upward trajectory," said Binay Shrestha, information officer at the Kalimati board.

Teej, a festival celebrated by Nepali Hindu women, starts on Monday with the eating of delicacies called Dar and ends on Thursday with the Rishi Panchami ritual.

Traders expect veggie prices to escalate until the end of the festive season in October.

The rise in prices during festivals has always been painful for consumers.

Adarsha Chaudhary, who lives in Kalanki, Kathmandu, feels the pinch as vegetable prices have rocketed in recent weeks.

“I bought a kg of tomato at Rs50 two weeks ago. Today the same quantity cost Rs95. Other green vegetables have also become pricier,” said Chaudhary, who has a family of six to care for.

“With the prices of kitchen essentials, as well as other goods, increasing ahead of the festival, my income has become insufficient to celebrate festivals. This frustrates me,” said Rai, who works at a shopping mall.

Consumer rights activists said that market anomalies rise during festivities as the government fails to check the prices. Traders hike prices by creating artificial shortages and then by indulging in black marketing under lax policies.

As rainfall continues, highways connecting Kathmandu Valley—Tribhuvan Highway, Prithvi Highway and BP Highway—are obstructed frequently, impacting the supply chain. The Valley receives most of its vegetable supply from the surrounding districts with some kitchen items imported from India.

Prices have gone up also because seasonal vegetables are being cleared up from the fields with a decline in yield, traders said.

On Thursday, the board received 732 tonnes of vegetables. A month ago, the market received 828 tonnes of the consumables.

Wholesale prices of eggplant long and round jumped 233.33 percent and 74.29 percent to Rs50 and Rs61 respectively per kg within a month. Eggplant in retail is priced from Rs60 to Rs90 per kg.

Tomato big (Nepali) wholesale price has increased 41.67 percent to Rs85 per kg while tomato small has become costlier by 30.41 percent to Rs35.60 per kg within the span of a month. In retail, it is being priced at Rs90 to Rs95 per kg.

Potato wholesale price also went up 14.12 percent to Rs50.50 per kg and potato red (Mude) increased by 16.88 percent to Rs45 per kg. Retail potato prices range from Rs64 to Rs160 per kg.

The wholesale price of cow pea (long) skyrocketed by 441.65 percent to Rs108.33 per kg while ordinary cow pea prices soared 50 percent to Rs82.50 per kg within a month.

French bean (local) wholesale price has jumped 228.57 percent to Rs115 per kg and French bean (hybrid) 191.43 percent to Rs102 per kg.

The wholesale price of sword beans has gone up 63 percent to Rs106.25 per kg.

Bitter gourd prices jumped 383.33 percent to Rs72.50 per kg. In retail, the seasonal vegetable sells for Rs100 to Rs105 per kg.

The price of bottle gourd also increased by 275 percent and the vegetable now costs Rs80 to Rs90 per kg retail.

Pointed gourd wholesale prices increased 137.14 percent to Rs83 per kg. In retail it is priced at Rs110 to Rs120 per kg. Similarly, the price of snake gourd jumped 145 percent to Rs49 per kg. The vegetable sells for Rs150 per kg retail.

The wholesale price of smooth gourd rose 126.63 percent to Rs62 per kg in a month. Sponge gourd price increased by 58.67 percent to Rs71.40 per kg. In retail, it is priced at Rs120 per kg.

Squash price jumped 225 percent to Rs65 per kg. The retail price has reached Rs90 to Rs100 per kg.