MINIMUM PRICES OF 15 FOOD ITEMS FIXED Kathmandu, 14 Sept.: The maximum retail price (MRP) of 15 daily food items was fixed by a government Thursday with the approaching festive season. Prices were lowered Rs 1 to 13 per kg. Prices of two varieties of lentils, gram, flour, four varieties of rice Prices of white pea, bean and edible oil were also reduced. Traders demanded time to sell old stock. Government has empowered Salt Trading Corporation (STC) to fix the MRP of salt and sugar nnnn ________________________________________ UPDATE BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL IN THIS YEAR’S MONSOON Kathmandu, 14 Sept.: This year’s monsoon was weak with less than normal rainfall and annual rain that still helps agriculture in the absence of an extended irrigation network should end September. “It is a weak monsoon because of less than normal rainfall across the country in the last three months,” said Rajendra Shrestha, senior meteorologist at t Rainfall deficit in June was 60 per cent while deficit in July, August was 87 and 90 per cent respectively. ”There has been as intense rainfall in some parts of the country [in September] as in Kathmandu, but it doesn´t mean we can upgrade monsoon to a stronger category now, “This could probably be the last active phenomenon for this year which might last for a few more days,” added Shrestha.