Kolkata: The takeover of the Afghan Taliban has cut the supply of dry fruits to the Kolkata market ahead of the festival season – which starts with Puja Ganesh in three weeks – when dried fruit, mostly imported from neighboring countries, is very popular.
With reduced inventory, the price has begun to climb.
Almond, which was sold at Rs 700 per kg earlier this month, now the price of RS 900-Hospital 1,000 depends on the quality.
The raisins that cost Rs 500 per kg until recently are now sold at RS 650 and the most expensive of all – Pistachios – now sell at Rs 2,000 A Kg, which is a spike of 40% from last week.
“Prices tend to rise further in the next few weeks because there is no control over the market due to lack of supply.
The market has dropped because this pandemic and crisis has made the situation worse, especially when we hope to take turnover in the celebration season,” Abhishek said Gupta PS 65 years in Cotton Street in Burrabazar.
Afghanistan exporting dried fruits such as almonds, dry raisins, walnuts, pistachios, figs, pine nuts, dry apricots, cashews, munakka and a number of spices and herbs.
According to traders in Cotton Street, King Katra and Lower Chitpore Road – the main market of dried fruits in the city – India mostly import walnuts, apricots, pistachios, pine nuts and dry figs from Afghanistan.
Spices such as Asafoetida (Hing), Shahzeera and small pistachio beans also sourced from the country.
“Most dried fruits are imported into Kolkata through Delhi.
The takeover of the Afghan Taliban has influenced the export of dry fruits from the country which caused prices here to skyrocket,” said Satyam Gupta from Sri Biswanath Co.
on the lower street market.
Arijit Deb from Om Bhander at King Katra Market said the dry fruits of Afghanistan such as Ara, Munakka, green raisins and dry apricots were very popular in the Kolkata market.
During the celebration season, various kinds of dried fruit packages such as cashew nuts, apricots, raisins and munakka are also very popular.
“Pandemic has caused a large cut in the company’s command for dried fruit boxes.
The Afghan crisis increases the price per box and which will be more impact of our sales this year,” Deb said.
Afghan commodities mostly reach India through sea routes and containers usually land in Mumbai.
Some containers were also sent by road, through Pakistan, to Amritsar.
Commodities from both hubs are then supplied to Delhi, where they are supplied to other parts in India.
Akhmat Khan, a citizen of Afghanistan in Kolkata, who deals with spices and clothing, said the situation in Afghanistan has truly cut down the supply chain of spices and increase the price of almost 100%.
The increase in prices also caused hoarding by some immoral traders, who had begun to hold shares back to Delhi, complaining some traders in Kolkata.