Fresh vegetables became 20 percent more expensive at the Central Market in March 2013 since a year earlier, although the prices of fruits and fish came down a little, according to the Ministry of Business and Trade which boasts a consumer watchdog that closely tracks the pricing of essentials on almost a daily basis. The Ministry didn’t cite any reasons for the price rise of vegetables, but said fruits sold 19 percent cheaper last March as compared to the previous months and the decline in their rates was a steep nine percent in a month since February. The prices of fish at the state-run market receded almost 28 percent in a year last March, the Ministry said while releasing extensive data of imports for the period under review. Meat prices have generally remained stable. India was the largest exporter of vegetable stocks that were retailed or sold by wholesalers from the Central Market in March this year. Local produce accounted for the second largest volume. As for fresh fruits, Egypt ranked number one in exports last March and the imports included orange, strawberry and plantains, among other perishables. Apples were mostly imported from Lebanon and China. Onions, watermelon and chilies were the largest items of import from India, while most of the potatoes were procured from a host of countries, including Pakistan, Iran, Jordan, China and Egypt. Local vegetables that inundated the Central Market in March included cucumber, tomatoes, green peas, egg plants and chilies, among other fresh stocks. Iran was a large exporter of beetroot, as also of potatoes and onions in the month. The Peninsula http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/233067-vegetables-dearer-fruits-cheaper.html

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