KATHMANDU: Vegetable and fruit prices have spiked significantly across the Kathmandu Valley, with traders blaming transport disruptions caused by floods and the approaching festival season. Consumers, however, are struggling to cope with the sudden surge in the cost of daily essentials.

Shoppers at the Jadibuti vegetable market reported that prices have become unaffordable. One consumer, Shobha Maharjan, stated that she is now forced to buy single pieces of vegetables like tomatoes, onions, and cauliflower instead of purchasing by the kilogram due to the high costs.

Traders defend the price hikes by citing increased transportation costs and losses due to spoilage. Kalpana Tamang, operator of Moktan Vegetable House in the Kalimati market, explained that with the Mugling road section obstructed, supplies from Chitwan and the Terai must be diverted through the longer Hetauda-Palung route. Some traders have informally acknowledged increasing their profit margins during this period of crisis.

Consumer rights activists have criticized the lack of effective government monitoring. Jyoti Baniya alleged that the market is currently plagued by black marketeering. Another activist, Binuja Dahal, argued that the government has remained indifferent to the chaos in the supply chain. ‘It is natural for carteling, syndicates, and black marketeering to flourish when the government’s presence is not felt in the market,’ she said.

Data from the Kalimati Fruit and Vegetable Market Development Committee confirms a rise of over 20 percent in prices over the last month. Between Aug. 12 and Sept. 14, the average wholesale price of local tomatoes jumped by 63.64 percent to Rs 45 per kg. Onion prices surged by 58.81 percent to Rs 90 per kg.

Other significant increases include lemons, which rose from Rs 225 to Rs 375 per kg, and hybrid white radishes, which saw a 70 percent price hike. Similar price trends have been reported in markets across Balkhu, Machhapokhari, Jadibuti, and Bhaktapur.