MUSCAT -- The value of some of the locally harvested vegetables are witnessing a rise in prices even as others keep fluctuating to nearly double the cost at the Central Fruit and Vegetable Market in Mawalah.
Among such vegetables, which are spotted to be on the elevating side due to the end of the season harvest include tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, capsicum and cabbages.
For instance, the price of a carton of second grade variety of an assortment of ripe, half ripen and raw tomatoes, which are relatively medium or small in sizes have risen to a cost of RO 2.800-RO 3 per carton of an 8-9 kg as of yesterday.
The rise in prices is attributed to a huge gap between demand and supply of the crop which is on huge demand at the central market and other places which rely on the central market for supply of the crop. Even though some imported brands of tomatoes particularly from Jordan are now available in minimal amounts, the value of this crop is being sold at nearly the same cost despite that they totally differ in quality.
The cost of capsicum at retail outlets within the central market, which is anticipated to be sold at cheaper prices is presently sold at 600 baisa per kg as compared to 400 baisas a few days ago. A carton of the same is fetched at RO 5.200 as compared to RO 4 last week.
The retail prices of locally cultivated cucumbers have equally shot up by about 50 per cent to 600 baisa per kg as compared to 300 baisa last week. A carton of an average of an 8-10 kg of cucumbers is rather sold at RO 4.5 at whole sale price. Likewise, the cost of a sack of cabbages, which relatively differs in sizes and quality is being sold at RO 1 per sack as compared to an equivalent of or less than 600 baisa last week.
But, in a tête-à-tête with some of the expatriate vendors in the market who are mostly in charge of the business on mobile trucks section of the market, it is anticipated that the prices of tomatoes and other products may drop in the coming months with the increase of imported brands from several other countries when supply outweighs demand, it is learnt.
Nonetheless, reasonable prices of some other fruits and vegetables, like the imported and locally produced onions and several other herbal products like spinach, mint, corriander, chilies and so on continue to be sustainable.
The prices of the summer products like raw mangoes have also witnessed a slump in prices from RO 1.200 last month to the current cost of a third the price.
© Oman Daily Observer 2012
