March 8: The price of almost all items has been skyrocketing in the market in recent days. The price of sunflower oil, which was Rs 230 per liter a month ago, has now reached Rs 280/290. The price of soybean oil has increased by Rs 30 to Rs 260 per liter. The price of rice has also gone up by Rs 200 per bag. Although the seasonal vegetables are affordable, other vegetables are out of financial reach for common people.

Srijana Dahal, a resident of Kirtipur’s Tyanglaphat says that she earlier used to manage food for her family of three with Rs 9000 to Rs 1000 per month.

“But now, even Rs 12000/13000 is not enough to cover the expenses,” she said.

Dahal added that it has become very difficult for her to make ends meet. She says the prices of vegetables, potatoes, onions and fruits have become too expensive. It is not jsut food items but other items including diapers have also become expensive. Dahal, who is dependent on her husband's salary, is now facing a struggle to even fulfill the needs of her kitchen.

According to Madan Dhodari of Chobhar, the prices of almost every food item including legumes, pulses, rice and flour have gone up by 10 to 25 percent in a single month.

Although his wife looks after the kitchen, he is the one who goes to buy things for the family. “Compared to the previous month, pulses, rice, flour, chickpeas and oil have become more expensive,” he said. Dhodari, who works for an NGO in Patan, said that he had to cut down not only on kitchen utensils but also on clothes, daily pocket expenses and other monthly expenses just to manage food for the kitchen. Using a motorcycle he owns as well as covering the education expenses of his two children have become a burden for him alongside the monthly rent he has to pay.

The story of Laxmi Sharma of Imadol is also similar. The Sharma couple is having a hard time running a family of seven even though two of them are struggling hard to make ends meet. “Prices of all commodities have gone up in the market. The prices are on the rise since the onset of Covid-19 pandemic,” said Sharma, expressing that the difficulty in making ends meet has not ended ever since. Sharma shared her experience of witnessing the rise in prices by 25 percent.

Covid-19 pandemic has led to a steady rise in prices. In mid-February, the price of milk had also gone up. Since then, the prices of all dairy products have gone up. Even before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the price of petroleum products had gone up and the traders were increasing the price of the goods as per their will, while making it difficult for common people to even manage goods for their kitchen.

Price of oil in the international market has risen sharply after Russia invaded Ukraine. As a result of the war, there has been an instant rise in prices of food which mostly come from Russia and Ukraine. Overall, prices of all commodities have increased also due to supply chain disruptions and rising transportation costs.

With the Ukrainian crisis showing no signs of abating, prices of crude oil and commodities, including wheat, soybeans, maize and sunflower seeds, are expected to rise further in the coming days. As a result, rising prices have made it more difficult for the general public to afford commodities required for the kitchen.