May 16: Amidst coronavirus pandemic, there has been a rise in prices of all sorts of food products. Taking advantage of the prolonged restrictions and political instability, industrialists, businessmen and middlemen have increased the prices of food items like rice, oil, sugar, lentil, eggs, legumes etc arbitrarily.

Consumers are facing financial crisis due to the pandemic. Nevertheless, many businessmen have been continuously increasing the prices of daily essentials under various pretexts.

According to the information provided by the Retail Trade Association, the price of lentils, which was Rs 110 per kg before the prohibitory orders were imposed, has now reached Rs 122 per kg.

The price of black lentil has increased by Rs 10 per kg from Rs 165 to Rs 175. The price of gram which was Rs 110 per kg has gone up by Rs 25 to Rs 135 per kg. Similarly, according to the association, the price of each brand of rice has increased by Rs 50 to Rs 100 per sack. Although there is no specific reason for the increase in prices of these food items at this time, some traders and middlemen may have increased the price on the pretext of political instability and restriction, says Pavitramaan Bajracharya, the outgoing president of the association.

According to him, black market has flourished in food trade. “Neither the government nor the regulatory body has a say in the matter,” he told New Business Age. He also said that the problem of wholesalers not paying the right price to the retailers have also surfaced.

On Saturday, he got a bill of only Rs 77 for the sugar he bought from a wholesaler at Rs 89 per kg. “I have received a bill of Rs 12 less than the purchased price. At present, the retail price of sugar in the market is Rs 90 per kg. How can I sell that sugar in such a situation?” he complained.

Prakash Poudel, the director general of the Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection, said that a joint team comprising of officials from the Department and the Inland Revenue Department should be formed to resolve the problems of retailers not getting the right bill.

He said that the local bodies and District Administration Offices should play a role to prevent unnecessary price hike in their areas as the Department alone cannot check irregularities everywhere. He said that the Department has been monitoring the situation by forming two teams everyday between 7 am to 9 am.

Not only have the prices of lentils, legumes and rice been increased, businessmen have also increased the prices of egg and edible oil.

Chicken eggs, which were being sold at Rs 350 per crate before the restriction, are now being sold at Rs 400. It is said that the price has gone up as the consumption of eggs has increased in the market. Similarly, the price of edible oil has gone up unnaturally in the last one and a half years. The price of soybean oil, which was Rs 145 per liter earlier, has now increased by Rs 120 per liter to Rs 265 per liter. The price of sunflower oil has also increased by Rs 100 to Rs 400 per liter. According to the Nepal Rice, Oil and Pulses Industry Association, the price of oil, rice and pulses has also gone up in Nepal after the prices of raw materials including mustard, paddy and soybean skyrocketed in the international market.

At present, the main reason for the rise in food prices is the rise in prices in the international market, said Subodh Kumar Gupta, president of the Association. He said there was no intention to encourage black marketing or hurt consumers during the pandemic.