February 28: The general public has been hit hard by the continuous rise in food prices. Lately, traders have been increasing the prices of food items under various pretexts. Prices of pulses, nuts, cooking oil, sugar, rice and other consumer goods have gone up sharply. 

The retail price of sugar, which was Rs 90 to Rs 95 some time ago, has now reached Rs 100 per kg. The cost price of sugar for traders has been fixed at Rs 90 per kg and it costs around Rs 93 to 95 when the transportation charge is added. 

"There is a problem in selling sugar even if it is sold at a profit of only Rs 5," said Pavitra Bajracharya, the former president of Nepal Retailers Association, "Currently, traders are not in a position to sell sugar at a profit." Bajracharya said that if the price increases in this way, there will be no profit from selling consumer goods. 

At present, the price of all types of cooking oil has increased by Rs 30 to Rs 32 per liter. The price of sunflower oil, which used to be Rs 220 per liter, has now increased by Rs 30 and is being sold at Rs 250 per liter. The price of lentils has gone up by Rs 70 per kg in the last two months and currently cost Rs 165 per kg. The price of mixed beans including peas and soybean has also gone up by 10 to 25 percent. Similarly, the price of rice of all brands has gone up by Rs 200 per sack. 

Although there is no specific reason for the increase in prices now, traders have arbitrarily increased the price pointing that the increase in fuel price and freight charge.

Chairman of the Association of Nepalese Rice, Oil and Pulses Industry Subodh Kumar Gupta, said that along with the rise in fuel prices, the price of raw materials in the international market has also increased. Furthermore, he said that the rise in fuel prices would increase the prices of not only food but also many other commodities in the near future.