Vegetable prices have skyrocketed in Dushanbe and some types of agricultural products may rise in price even more by fall.
Thus, onion and cucumber prices at Dushanbe’s bazaars rose three times in early July compared to the same period last year.
Meanwhile, carrot prices have fallen four times.
Prices for the most vegetables and fruits have gone up significantly in Dushanbe. However, prices for garlics, cherries, figs and peaches at Dushanbe’s bazaars have slightly fallen compared to July last year.
Farmers said that the price hike has resulted from rising cost of mineral fertilizers. According to them, they have purchased mineral fertilizers this year at the rate of 10-15 somonis. Besides, fuel and manpower prices have risen significantly this year.
Another factor affecting vegetable and fruit prices in the county is increasing export of some types of farm produce, for example onions and grapes, the farmers noted.
In addition, farmers do not have enough experience in forecasting, and no one gives them recommendations of which crops may be in demand this year and which are not.
As far as the cucumber harvest is concerned, farmers say unfavorable weather (rains in May) has affected the plants and led to a drop in the yield of them.
“In previous years, we had yielded 600 to 800 kilograms of cucumbers from each acre of land, while this year, the productivity has been not more than 300-400 kilograms,” farmers say.
They further noted that the price hike is not connected with the Idi Qurbon (Eid al-Adha).
“Indeed, some merchants jack up the prices on the eve of a holiday in order to get as much profit as possible, but it lasts only two or three days. And the prospect is such that by autumn some types of agricultural products such as onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, potatoes and rice may rise in price even more, as the cultivation of these becomes unprofitable because of high prices for fuels, fertilizers and technical services,” farmer from Tursunzoda Bakhtiyor Haitboyev said.
