Tomato price falls in Bahrain as more supplies arrive

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Staff Reporter

Trenchant wits or ironical expressions comparing tomatoes to bitcoins will no longer enjoy accolades on social media as the prices of vegetables including tomato have started to drop in Bahrain  after fresh supplies arrived in the country from abroad. The cooling effect has offered a sigh of relief for the public, who have been complaining against the prices of many vegetables remaining on the higher side during Ramadan.

Khalid Al Amin, Head of Food and Agriculture Committee at Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), said the the prices of many vegetables have fallen between 30 per cent and 50pc after hitting peaks during the beginning of Ramadan.

He added that the prices will continue to fall until it normalises. “The crisis was mainly caused by weather issues in countries, from where vegetables were mainly imported. With climatic conditions becoming normal, vegetable production will increase leading to more supplies.”

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism earlier said that it is closely monitoring the prices of all food products in the local markets to ensure there is no price rise during the Holy Month. “The prices of all basic food products including fruits and vegetables are being monitored,” the ministry had said. On tomato price rise, the ministry said the reasons are many including high price in the countries of origin, weather fluctuation and lack of adequate imports.

The price of tomato was 700 fils a kilo at Manama Central Market yesterday against the peak price of BD1.1 a kilo a few days ago. The ministry attributed the cucumber price rise to the impact of weather conditions on the cultivation and production in cucumber exporting countries apart from logistical issues related to shipping.

The price of cucumber was 200 fils a kilo at Manama Central Market yesterday. The ministry has been reassuring all citizens and residents that tomato and other vegetable prices will be stabilised in the coming weeks and prices will be back to normal. The ministry has been carrying out many periodic inspection campaigns to ensure that traders are not stocking excess fruits and vegetables with an aim to increase their prices after heavy demand during the Holy Month.

Action was taken against many traders who would stock surplus quantities of fruits and vegetables. Legal measures were taken against the violators on the basis of Law No 35 of 2012. Calls have come from different quarters including the parliamentarians asking the government and the ministry to intensify inspections at food markets to ensure prices of food remain stable during the Holy Month.

It is learnt that over 200 food traders have agreed to keep prices of essential food items under control during the Holy Month.