Vegetable prices at the central vegetable market here rose sharply this week, with some prices going up by 100 percent. Price of a kilo of cucumbers soared from SR4 to SR8; the price for one kilo of zucchini and tomatoes rose to SR16 and SR9, respectively, Al-Madina Arabic newspaper said. A box of zucchinis costs SR130, a box of small Syrian tomatoes costs SR30 and a box of cucumbers costs SR18.?Sources in agricultural companies quoted by the newspaper said increases are both seasonal and due to decreased quantities of imports from Syria, which is in a state of unease and turbulence. Up to 30 percent of the tomatoes sold in Saudi Arabia are imported from Syria. Store owners agreed that the seasonal changes and a decrease in imports have driven up prices, adding that demand has increased, which has caused further price increases.?A worker in a vegetable-supply company agreed with the store owners, the report said. Omar Muhammad, a seller at the central vegetable market, said, though, that it was unclear why the prices have gone up. “Prices have been on the rise over the past two weeks. We don't have a clue why,” he said.
