KARACHI: Customers already struggle with high food inflation and electricity costs, but now they have to deal with paying outrageous rates for dried fruits. The premium pine nut (chilgoza) is the most expensive, costing between Rs12,000 and Rs14,000 per kilogram.
Good quality pine nuts used to sell for Rs15,000–16,000 per kilogram in the Saddar area, Rs5,200 in 2022, and Rs8,000 in 2021, according to dealers.
“Pine nuts are now unaffordable for people of all income levels,” they stated, noting that some people only purchase small amounts.
The unusually high cost of Parachinar peanuts, which are currently sold by push carts and roadside stall owners for Rs1,200 per kilogram, is another shock to the general public. In retail marketplaces, it cost Rs 1,000 per kg a year ago, and in 2021, it cost Rs 720.
In terms of dollars, imports are up 122%.
Peanuts continued to arrive in Karachi unhindered in spite of recent road closures and unrest in Parachinar. Before the violence broke out, a trader claimed that many traders had already purchased enormous stocks.
A low- and middle-income family with two to three children only consumes 250 grams of peanuts, he added, adding that “many people can no longer afford peanuts due to high prices, as some feel satisfied buying only 125 grams for Rs150.”
The price of a kilogram of high-quality American almond (Baadam) was between Rs. 2,800 and Rs. 3,000 last year. Almonds sold for Rs2,000 per kilogram in 2021.
Last year, a kilogram of premium Indian cashew nuts (Kajoo) cost Rs 4,800, but now they retail for Rs 5,200. The price per kilogram in 2021 was Rs 2,200.
Only cashew nut prices have gone up from the previous year, according to traders.
The prices of walnuts, both with and without shells, are Rs 2,400–3,000 and Rs 1,000–1,200 per kilogram, respectively, which is unchanged from the previous year. Retailers priced walnuts with and without shells at Rs. 600–800 per kg in 2021 and Rs. 1,400–1,600 per kg, respectively.
Almost the same as last year, the price of a kilogram of salted Iranian pistachios is between Rs 2,800 and Rs 3,000.
Some shops report a 30% rise in demand despite higher pricing, despite the lack of official or private yardsticks to measure expensive dried fruit sales volumes.
The assertion is supported by the fact that imports of dried fruits and nuts increased dramatically during 5MFY25, rising by 83 percent in quantity and 122 percent in value. Imports of nuts and dry fruits increased to 84,573 tonnes ($66.2m) in 5MFY25 from 46,278 tonnes ($30m) in the same period the previous year, according to statistics from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
The demand for dried fruits typically spikes on the eve of any Islamic holidays, such as Eidul Fitr and Rabi-ul-Awal, and they are also widely utilized to make a variety of meals, primarily halwa and sweetmeats.
Retailers claimed that stable rupee-dollar parity in 2024 helped to limit the cost of imported food.
