KATHMANDU, Nov 5: Prices of food commodities such as rice, edible oil and different types of pulses have gone down in the Kathmandu Valley compared to Dashain due to rise in supplies and drop in import costs.
According to traders, price of rice decreased after newly harvested rice started to enter the market. And edible oil and other food commodities have become cheaper because of drop in their international prices (that is import cost), said traders.
Retail rates of rice and beaten rice have gone down by Rs 5-Rs 20 per kg, while pulses have become cheaper by Rs 5-Rs 10 per kg. Likewise, edible oil has become cheaper by Rs 10-Rs 20 per liter whereas prices of sugar and salt have remained unchanged in the local market.
Nepal Retailers´ Association (NRA) even projected that the price of sugar might not increase during Tihar as local sugar mills will start crushing and producing sugar from mid-November.
"Prices of rice and pulses have come down by as much as 20 percent compared to Dashain because of improved supply and the beginning of paddy harvest,” said Sujendra Shrestha, proprietor of BG Marketing -- a wholesale store at Koteshwar.
Compared to Dashain, the price of Sona Mansuli has presently dropped by Rs 7 and is selling at Rs 28 per kg. Basmati rice has become cheaper by Rs 20 and is being sold at Rs 70 per kg, while the price of Pokhareli rice too has come down by Rs 10 and is now priced at Rs 50 per kg.
Likewise, price of black lentil (Mas) has come down from Rs 105 per kg and is selling at Rs 95 per kg. Musuro has become cheaper by Rs 10 and is being retailed at Rs 90 per kg and prices of Mung Chatta, Mung Khosta and Chana Dal have decreased by Rs 15 per kg each and are being sold at Rs 120, Rs 125 and Rs 140 per kg respectively.
According to retailers, the price of mustard oil has decreased by Rs 20 per liter compared to Dashain and is being sold at Rs 150 per liter. Similarly, sunflower oil and soybean oil have become cheaper by Rs 10 per liter each and are being retailed at Rs 138 and Rs 128 per liter respectively.
“Every day fresh supplies of rice and pulses are entering in the market at lower rates and this has caused the prices of food commodities to go down in the local market," said Shrestha. He, however, projected the edible oil to be dearer in the coming days as its consumption will increase sharply during Tihar festival that begins next week.
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