PESHAWAR: With the start of winter season, the shopkeepers in the provincial capital have increased prices of dry fruits forcing Peshawarites to purchase the dry fruits on exorbitant rates due to lukewarm response of district administration.
The prices of apricot, peaches, almond, currants, pine nut, peanuts and pistachios have soared by 10 to 30 percent this year in Peshawar due to prolonged drought and purchasing these items was merely a desire for low income groups and common people.
With a decrease in mercury level, the demand of dry fruits has increased in the city and at cantonment shops where shopkeepers have brought abundant of dry fruits to cater high demand especially in winter season.
Dozens of new dry fruits shops had opened at Fawara Chowk, Ashraf Road, Peoples' Mandi and Firdous area while many other shopkeepers had converted to this business owing to high profits.
The shopkeepers while justifying the increase in prices of dry fruits said that due to prolonged drought, increase in labour and transportation rates the prices of dry fruits have also surged, adding that most of the dry fruit is being transported from remote districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Balochistan and FATA.
The shopkeepers said they spend huge amount on shops and bring stock in huge quantity to Peshawar but most of the customers these days just ask the prices and return with empty hands due inflated prices.
As per the market survey, the prices of most of items including peanuts and black gram, which was available at Rs 160 per kilogram, have gone up by 20 to 30 per cent in this winter season in Peshawar owing to low production because of prolonged drought and low supply.
The prices of peanut also registered upward increase due to marriages season and preparation of sweet dishes in KPK. One kilogram peanut is being sold on Rs180 to Rs220 in local markets against Rs. 160 per KG last year.
Good quality shell almonds are being sold at about Rs.400 to 600 per kilogram and almonds without shell between Rs 700 to 800 per kg whereas black gram is available at Rs 160 per kg against Rs 120 per kg, while apricot Rs 190 per kg from Rs 150.
The buyers demanded of the district administration to fix rates of dry fruits, which are available at multiple prices in the open market as the vendors charged people with huge prices in absence of pricing mechanism.
The people have demanded the district administration to control the prices dry fruits so that it would be in reach of every person.
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