Credit: DH photo
Bengaluru: After a month of steep hikes in dry fruit prices, rates are beginning to stabilise in the lead up to Bakrid, confirmed city traders.
Till last week, the prices of produce arriving in the city from Kashmir were at an all-time high. This includes saffron, apricots, walnuts, garlic, and honey.
“Dry fruits stopped coming in from Kashmir for almost a month, and since there was high demand in the city, prices shot up. But over the last couple of days, the supply is back to normal, and the prices have slowly been returning to normal,” Mohammed Idrees Choudhury, general secretary, Russell Market Traders’ Association, told DH.
Till a week ago, whole Kashmiri walnuts were priced around Rs 800 per kilogram — their price has now dropped to Rs 400, close to the regular rate. Saffron prices have fallen from Rs 450 per gram to Rs 300–350 per gram. Before the Pahalgam attack on April 22, a gram of saffron was priced at Rs 250.
Currently, one kilo of dried apricots costs Rs 800 — rates have dropped by Rs 400 since last week. The price of a litre of honey from Kashmir has decreased from Rs 1,400 to Rs 800.
The price of Kashmiri garlic has also fallen from Rs 4,000 per kilo to Rs 2,500. The garlic variety is known for its health benefits, such as its ability to lower blood pressure levels.
Eid around the corner
Abdul Hameed, owner of K H Mewa in Shivajinagar, shared that his sales dropped by about 50 per cent over the last few weeks. "But with Eid around the corner, we are hoping to make up for the losses,” he told DH.
Customer footfall has also returned to normal at dry fruit stores on Avenue Road and in Chickpet. At Shubham Dry Fruits on Sultanpet Main Road, there is increased demand for saffron.
Dry fruits from Iran and Afghanistan continue to carry a hefty price tag. The price of one kilo of Iranian Mamra almonds has increased by about Rs 700 to Rs 900 in the last month, currently costing Rs 2,900. A kilo of pine nuts from Afghanistan costs approximately Rs 9,000, compared to Rs 7,000 last month.