Commodities prices start picking up

Prices of most monitored commodities showed a nominal increase in the last month, according to the Nepal Market Watch.
The average prices of coarse rice and wheat flour have increased by one per cent and 0.8 per cent respectively, while that of black gram and broken lentils have increased by less than 0.5 per cent in the past one month, stated the Nepal Market Watch that was jointly produced by World Food Programme, Department of Agriculture, Agribusiness Promotion and Marketing Development Directorate (ABPMDD), Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries (Agro Enterprise Centre), and the Consumer Interest Protection Forum. In the markets regularly monitored by Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and World Food Programme, the national average price of most food commodities has increased marginally over the past one month, it said.
The average prices of coarse rice and wheat flour increased by one per cent to Rs 36.1 per kg and 0.8 per cent to Rs 36.9 per kg respectively, while that of broken lentils and black gram increased by 0.5 per cent to Rs 96.8 per kg and 0.2 per cent to Rs 109.8 per kg, respectively.
However, the price of red potato has increased by 5.7 per cent to Rs 23.5 per kg.However compared to April, the average price of coarse rice has increased by 4.7 per cent, while that of wheat flour has declined by 2.9 per cent.
Price trends in regional markets reflect a somewhat different picture compared to the trend in national average price. The average price of coarse rice in major consumer markets has increased by 2.6 per cent, while the price of wheat flour remained same in the last one month.
In the Tarai markets, the average prices of wheat flour and coarse rice increased by 2.5 per cent and 0.6 per cent, respectively. However, the average prices of coarse rice and wheat flour remained same in mountain and hill markets with and without road access.
In the wholesale market monitored by FNCCI/AEC, the prices of most commodities in the five large markets — Birtamod, Kathmandu, Butwal, Surkhet and Dhangadi — showed a trend similar to that seen in the retail markets.In July, prices of vegetables in the Kathmandu valley have marginally declined due to sudden improvement in vegetable supply. The price of vegetables increased by 15 per cent to 20 per cent in June.
The prices of both diesel and kerosene increased from Rs 68.5 per litre — since December 6 to Rs 73.5 per liter — effective from July 10. Such a rise in fuel prices is likely to increase the cost of transportation.
Fuel prices — diesel and kerosene — have increased by five rupees each per liter effective from July 10.
Food supply in the markets of the Mid-Western hill and mountain districts have been affected by frequent obstructions in parts of the Karnali highway due to landslides caused by monsoon rain.