Just as the Consumer Protection Authority (CPA) launched the Price Monitoring System, prices of many fruits and vegetables have shot up in the retail market, according to a cross section of consumers.
Prices of many of the fruits and vegetables which are high in use these days, such as water melon and bananas, have made nearly 30 per cent rise since last week.
“Prices of many items have shot high in the past few days just as the Ramadhan began,” said Mohammed Mostafa, an expatriate based in Muscat.
He said one kilogramme of water melon which he bought for 190 baisa a week ago is now 290 baisa. Similar hike was visible on Yemeni mango and Indian banana which he consumes on a daily basis for breaking fast.
Moreover, the wholesale suppliers, importers and other dealers admitted that there is a slight hike in the prices of some items but they claim to be reasonable and justifiable owing to many factors.
“The Omani water melon is of great demand in countries like Qatar, UAE, and Bahrain and a large portion of exports are to these countries. Our local demand too went high disproportionate to the supply in the initial days of Ramadhan and prices were as high as 290 baisa per kilogramme. However, since we stopped exporting to these countries for the time being, the prices are back to 190 baisa,” Raoof, buyer at Suhol al Fayha, the largest fresh fruit and vegetable supplier to the country’s consumption, said.
He further added that a similar rise in price was seen in Yemeni mangoes from RO 1.900 to RO 2.400 whose export too stopped for the time being.
The same is applicable to Indian cavendish banana which went up from RO 2.500 to RO 2.700.
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