Prices of fish and vegetables have fallen significantly in the local market with the onset of winter. Prices of fish that had shot up to a record high due to a severe shortage in supply have dropped by about 50 per cent over the past four days, traders at the Central Fish Market said yesterday. Prices of fruits and vegetables have also fallen due to a rise in imports with the beginning of winter. The Central Market is again abuzz with visitors, after the summer lull. Retailers say that they have been hit hard as more people are now frequenting the market lured by the low prices. “The supply has gone up due to the fine weather and a subsequent rise in supply. We have a lot of customers now,” said a trader in the fish market. The market until a few a days ago had been wearing a deserted look. Prices of all popular varieties have started falling. For instance, King Fish (big) was sold at QR18 while a smaller variety was available at QR12. The same cost up to QR35 just a week ago. Hamour still remains costly at QR35 per kg, while prices of prawns (big) have fallen from QR60 to QR35. Other popular varieties such as Rubeeb, Jest and Zubaidi were available at prices ranging from QR10 to QR15 per kg yesterday. Most of the fruits and vegetables have also become cheaper at least by QR2 or QR3 per kg. Retailers still keep the prices relatively high, despite a major fall in the wholesale prices. Any visitor to the central market could notice the difference. Traders said that the prices were expected to fall further in the days to come with the arrival of locally produced vegetables. “Many Qatari and expatriate families cultivate vegetables in their houses during winter. Most Qataris have their own farms and they distribute the harvest among neighbours and relatives free of cost. This is another factor that cause the prices falling during winter,” said a trader. http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=October2009&file=Local_News200910190548.xml

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