JEDDAH: Prices of some fruits and vegetables in Jeddah have increased by up to 150 percent in the last week. Zucchini, which was SR5 per kg, has doubled. Prices for onions, potatoes and cabbage, which have been stable for years, have also gone up dramatically in recent days. The price of 15 kg of onions has jumped from SR10 to SR27, an increase of more than 150 percent, while Egyptian oranges leapt from SR16 per carton to SR28. Saifullah Sharbatly, head of the Foodstuff Committee at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jeddah, said there are several reasons for the hike. Demand exceeds supply, there has been bad weather in the exporting countries and the US dollar is relatively weak, which means vendors have to pay more for foreign purchases, especially those from Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt, he said. He noted that Syria, Turkey and Lebanon have been hit by torrential rain and hail, which has affected production in those countries. Price fluctuations have led consumers to suggest to the ministries of Commerce and Municipal and Rural Affairs that they establish a weekly price index for vegetables and fruits and circulate it everywhere they are sold. Okaz/Saudi Gazette asked Saleh Al-Khalil, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for Consumers Affairs if he would investigate the sharp increases. He said the ministry has nothing to do with prices of the vegetables and fruits.
