LAHORE: As the dry fruit business picks up with the start of winter season in Pakistan every year, the wholesale dry fruit market operators and the vendors have increased prices of all items by 25 percent except pine nut (Chilgoza).

Dry fruits include dates, apricot, peaches, almond, currants, pine nut, peanuts, pistachios and many more. Almond and peanut are the most favourite and their demand is higher than others.

According to the market survey conducted by this scribe on Wednesday, the good quality shell almonds are being sold at Rs 800 per kilogram and with out shell between Rs 1,200 and Rs 1,600 per kg. The average price of walnut with skin has spiked to Rs 600 per kg as against last year’s Rs 450 per kg.

Similarly the price of dried apricot has been increased to Rs 800 per kg as against 2011’s price tag of Rs 500 per kg. Cashew nut (Kajoo), Pistachio (Pista) and walnut without skin are sold at Rs 1,400 per kg.

Price of fig (Anjeer) has been spiked to Rs 1,000 per kg, local dates Rs 200 to Rs 250 per kg, imported dates from Iran Rs 250 to Rs 300 per kg.  The famous Ajoha date imported from Madina Sharif is being offered at Rs 2,400 per kg, which is said to have medicinal value against heart diseases. Peanuts and dried mulberry are being sold at Rs 260 per kg. However price of pine-nut (Chilgoza) has dropped from Rs 2,800 to Rs 2,400 per kg due to good crop this year.

However Pakhtoon vendors who sell dry fruits on roadsides are selling some dry fruits like fig, apricot, walnuts, Gur with mixed dry fruits, roasted grams, and peanuts relatively at much lower prices.