Fruit and fresh vegetable prices have increased sharply in the Dammam municipal wholesale market. The prices, wholesale dealers have warned, may rise further due to supply-related problems. Onion imports have also been affected slightly because of floods in some states in India, the largest onion exporter to the Mideast. Prices of potatoes, tomatoes, onions and garlic, commonly used in meal preparations during Ramadan, have also increased owing to high demand from retailers and less availability. According to traders in Dammam municipal wholesale market, imports from Syria and Jordan have decreased and tomatoes and capsicum are expected to become more expensive with the onset of the holy month of Ramadan. Likewise the prices of oranges, bananas, grapes and apples have also gone up slightly with increased demand. Most supermarkets in the Kingdom have increased the prices of fruits and vegetables as people begin their Ramadan shopping.
