Around 10,000 tonnes of locally-produced and imported vegetables were brought to the Central Market in February.

A monthly report for February 2016 was issued by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce that gave details about imports and the current pricing of goods in the market.

India was the leading exporter with a 31 percent share in the total followed by Pakistan at 18 percent.

Jordanian vegetables contributed 13 percent to the total, one percent more than Egyptian produce which had a share of 12 percent.

The other countries from where the vegetables were sourced were Saudi Arabia which contributed eight percent, China, five percent and Lebanon, only one percent.

The prices of vegetables were up by two percent on average in the month as compared to January, 2016, the previous month. On year-on-year basis the vegetables available on the Central Market became cheaper by three percent in February.

The price of Saudi khusa rose 40 percent, from QR2.5 per kg in January to QR3.5 per kg in February followed by Jordanian lettuce, Saudi and Qatari cucumber whose prices increased by 25 percent, from QR4 per Kg to QR5 a kg during the period.

Jordanian tomato, Saudi cabbage and Indian onion witnessed a steep fall of 17 percent, from QR3 per kg in January to QR2.5 in February. [Read more on The Peninsula]