1. Home
  2. Asia
  3. Nepal

Fear of shortages in capital exaggerated - suppliers

[Nepal] Food traders are confident that food crises will not take place soon contrary to the media speculation and false rumours. [Date picture taken: 04/18/2006] Naresh Newar/IRIN
Food traders in Kathmandu are confident that a food crisis will not take place contrary to media speculation and false rumours
With the nationwide strike about to enter its second week, people in major cities and towns across Nepal have started to panic buy over talk of food and fuel shortages, but suppliers in the capital, Kathmandu, say the fears are unfounded. According to local media reports, since the strike started no food lorries or fuel tanks have been seen inside the capital, leading many to speculate of an imminent supply crisis if the strike continues. As a result, people have flooded the capital’s market places to stock up on essentials. “It’s a false alarm about a crisis taking place soon. Journalists can come and check our supplies,” Manoj Acharya, a senior official from the Kathmandu-based National Salt Trading Corporation, a major supplier of salt, sugar and rice, said, adding that suppliers were adept at keeping enough in store thanks to the number of routine strikes and blockades seen over the past few years. On current figures suppliers estimate there are sufficient stocks to last at least another three months. Since 5 April, a strike has been observed throughout the Himalayan kingdom after a call by the seven main opposition parties to oust King Gyanendra, who assumed direct rule on 1 February, 2005, and return to democracy. The main problem, according to suppliers, is the rise in prices resulting from panic buying. When people rushed to buy salt on Monday, many unscrupulous retailers raised the price by 10 times, Acharya said. “The problem is not getting the supplies but how to control the unbelievable price increases,” explained Arjun Prasad Aryal, a spokesman from the Kalimati Fruit and Vegetable Market Development Committee, the country’s main supplier of vegetables. But with a heavy stock of vegetables already in place, and the arrival of another 28 trucks of supplies, it could hardly be called a panic situation, he asserted. “Do you consider this a shortage of supplies?” asked a vegetable trader and farmer Jit Bahadur Gauli. Meanwhile, there is concern among farmers and vegetable traders over how to maintain all the supplies already brought in the capital. Around 500 mt of vegetables were brought in on Tuesday despite the lorries being attacked and stoned by demonstrators on the main roads outside the capital. Another issue of concern has been the news of fuel shortages. “On the contrary, there is an overflow of stock in the capital already,” said a senior official from Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), requesting not to be named for reasons of job security. Most of the petrol stations and cooking gas distributors are owned by the private sector, which is also involved in the nationwide strike to show solidarity with the political parties’ demands for democracy. “Of course, we are concerned but people should not panic, at least for another two or three months,” the official added, cautioning, however, that the government, as well as the political parties, should do something to control the alarming price rises.

This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

Share this article

Get the day’s top headlines in your inbox every morning

Starting at just $5 a month, you can become a member of The New Humanitarian and receive our premium newsletter, DAWNS Digest.

DAWNS Digest has been the trusted essential morning read for global aid and foreign policy professionals for more than 10 years.

Government, media, global governance organisations, NGOs, academics, and more subscribe to DAWNS to receive the day’s top global headlines of news and analysis in their inboxes every weekday morning.

It’s the perfect way to start your day.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian today and you’ll automatically be subscribed to DAWNS Digest – free of charge.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian

Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

Join