Dry fruits dearer as Afghan imports stop

Traders in Bengaluru say supply is short, and prices have shot up since the Taliban captured Kabul on August 15

The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has made dry fruits dearer by up to 80% in Bengaluru.

With trade between India and Afghanistan coming to a halt, dry fruits and spices are in short supply, say traders. “This is not a sudden change. Over the last few weeks, the prices had

been increasing at a steady rate,” says Himanshu Pavecha of Kesariya Spices and Dry Fruits, Yeshwanthpur.

India imports a wide array of dry fruits from Afghanistan, including almonds, figs, black raisins, pine nuts, dried apricots and pistachios. Saffron and asafoetida (ingu, hing) also come to Indian markets from Afghanistan.

The prices have gone up by 60 to 80%, traders told Metrolife.

Mohammed Idrees Choudhury, general secretary, Russell Market Traders’ Association, says dry fruit traders have faced several hurdles in getting consignments from Afghanistan. He is a prominent dealer in dry fruits.

“Over six to seven weeks, as the Taliban took over more and more territories, our supplies had been affected. But it was on August 15, when the Taliban took over Kabul, that the trade came to a complete halt,” he told Metrolife.

A huge chunk of the quality dry fruits sold in Bengaluru comes from Afghanistan. The city is a big market for Afghan figs, pine nuts and saffron.

“We get saffron from other countries too, but the one from Afghanistan is of really good quality and a crowd favourite,” he says. The price of saffron has shot up from Rs 250 to 300 per gram in early July to Rs 700 now.

Asafoetida is a medicinal herb native to Afghanistan. It adds a distinct flavour to dishes, and is also used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine to treat indigestion. It is currently priced at Rs 1,400 a kilo, as against Rs 800 in July.

“Even if we don’t trade in Afghan products, the shortage is affecting the prices of dry fruits and spices coming in from other regions,” says Himanshu.

For example, California almonds which were priced at Rs 560 a kilo last month, are now selling at Rs 1,000.

The demand went up after the pandemic broke out, with people buying more dry fruits as they are believed to boost immunity, says Javeed Sait, owner, City Dry Fruits, Old Tharagupet.

“Nowadays, people who come to the store are shocked at the prices and end up buying very small quantities,” he says. He believes things could get worse for traders if the imports don’t resume.

Tauseef Ahmed, owner of M A Stores, Old Market Road, has decided to not restock Afghan products at his store. “We have some stocks left of Afghan dry fruits and nuts. Looking at the jacked-up prices, I don’t think we’ll be getting Afghan products anytime soon,” he adds.

The situation is reminiscent of the last time the Taliban ruled the country between 1996 and 2001. “But the market has been hit way worse right now as the dry fruits business has grown exponentially in India, especially in Bengaluru,” says Choudhury.

Hoarding for Deepavali

With trade with Afghanistan at a standstill, importers in Delhi and Maharashtra are holding on to their stocks in anticipation of festive sales, traders say.

“It is only for big occasions like Deepavali that some of us get stocks directly from Afghanistan, otherwise we are dependent on these middlemen. Now they are holding on to their stocks for fear that they may have nothing left for the season,” says a trader in Russell Market.