Dry fruits slipping out of reach of common man

ISLAMABAD: Dry fruits, regarded as one of the winter treats, have become beyond reach for the common man in Pakistan due to its exorbitant prices.

Due to rising inflation, the common man in Pakistan who is finding it hard to fill their tables with a proper meal has started to deem the dry fruit as a luxury commodity.

“Eating dry fruits by the heater while watching our favourite drama on TV with the family was how I grew up. It used to be family time. But now I can’t even afford to give the same luxury to my children,” Imran an employee with a private firm told Hum News English.

Liaqat Ali, a shop owner at Aabpara market said, “Not many customers come to buy dry fruits. Most middle-class people settle for peanuts, one of the cheapest options at Rs 800 per kg. High-priced dry fruits like cashews, costing Rs 4,500-5,000 per kg, are now only affordable for the rich,” he commented.

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A survey of the market has revealed that almonds (without shells) are being sold at Rs 4000-6000 per kg with a variety of either American almonds which are roasted or local ones. Almonds with shells are being sold at Rs 1450 per kg, Pistachio (with shells) at Rs 3200 per kg and Walnuts with shells at Rs 1400 per kg.

Since the Pine nuts are not purchased at all by most of the customers due to their sky-rocketing price of around Rs. 14,000 per kg, they are not mostly kept in stock.

Nazia Mehmood, a customer at a dry fruits shop in Aabpara Market, shared, “For years, it was my routine to stock up on almonds and walnuts for the season so my family could enjoy them with tea.”

However, she lamented that soaring prices and limited purchasing power due to the ongoing inflation have made it impossible to afford these nutritious dry fruits, despite their health benefits.

She added, “It’s surprising that many dry fruits, even those locally produced, are now too expensive for the average person.”