Vegetable prices are finally on the decline after increasing by more than 100 percent during the first 10 days of Ramadan, much to the concern of shoppers.

The price of certain vegetables, such as cucumber and tomato, however, rose by more than 400 percent in Jeddah but have since stabilized at wholesale markets.

Supermarkets have also reduced prices to some extent, but they remain high compared to prices at the central vegetable market.

Even street vendors are seen selling their produce at lower prices than at supermarkets.

A five-kilogram carton of cucumber, priced at a mere SR10 on normal days, reached SR40 during the first week of Ramadan, but has since gone down to anywhere between SR12 and SR15.

Locally produced tomato, which costs SR15 a carton before Ramadan, had also jumped to SR35 but has since stabilized in the normal range.

The prices of Jordanian and Syrian tomatoes are also stabilizing.

The cost of okra produced in Madinah, however, remains high compared with other vegetables. The price of spinach, garlic, onion remain stable, while the cost of green chili and onions is rising.
Similar price trends prevail in Riyadh and Dammam, traders told Arab News.

Prices at Jeddah’s central vegetable market, meanwhile, remain far cheaper.

Jordanian tomatoes that sell for SR2.5 a kilo at wholesale price are sold at SR7 a kilo at supermarkets.
The price of cucumbers also bears a similar ratio.

“The market is struggling with price declines because there has been a drop in sales volume in Jeddah,” an employee in the wholesale business told Arab News.

“The situation is worse in Taif, a major vegetable exporter to the rest of the Kingdom.

Abdul Moqtar, a vegetable vendor, told Arab News that there is an almost 50-percent decline in the number of customers this year compared to last Ramadan.

Vegetable vendors, who mostly come from Bangladesh and Yemen, are feeling the pinch of constant security checks. This has led to a decline in the number of sales points across the city, said sources.

 
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