Artificial shortage of cumin in the market, reached 1500 per kg

Recently, the prices of all food items have increased. Similarly, the price of cumin, a spice product, has increased sharply.

Nowadays, it is difficult to find cumin seeds from grocery stores to masala mills. Due to which its price has increased rapidly. According to traders, the price of cumin, which was Rs 420 per kg last year, has risen to Rs 1,500 within a year.

According to traders who deal in cumin this year, due to a sharp drop in production in the neighboring country India, its price has increased untouchably.

As the price of cumin, which is used as a spice for taste, has increased, the consumer’s kitchen has become more expensive. Compared to other times, consumption is also higher during festivals. Although there is a possibility to produce cumin seeds in the country, due to lack of local production, we have to rely on imports. Businessmen say that the price has increased due to low production in India.

Devendra Bhakta Shrestha, President of the Food Wholesale Grocers Association, said that cumin wholesale has reached 1,200 kg. According to him, 90 percent of cumin in Nepal is imported from India. Now the price of cumin has increased in India. This is the reason why it has increased in the local market as well. He informed that since the production of cumin in India has decreased this year, its price has increased to 700 per kg in the wholesale market within two months. This is a 140 percent increase.

Businessmen say that cumin has started coming from China to meet the market demand. Cumin also comes from Turkey and Iran. India is the first country in the production of cumin seeds, the price of cumin seeds increased in the global market, and its direct impact has been on the Nepali market.