Kolkata: The tension in the Strait of Hormuz has not only imperilled energy supply, it has also affected shipment of dry fruits. The supply crunch has sent prices of pistachio, Marma almonds, green raisins and prunes soaring.At the dry fruits and spices range in New Market, the price of pistachio has increased by 40% since the US and Israel strikes on Iran. Though American companies have launched impactful advertisements to popularise Californian pistachio, it is the Iranian variety that is sourced by markets in Kolkata, including shops at New Market.“The pistachio price that was hovering around Rs 2,000 a kg has increased to Rs 2,800 a kg as shipment has stopped and stocks have begun to dwindle,” said Randhir Kumar, a fourth-generation spice and dry fruits retailer at the Evergreen stores that has been in business for over a century.Apart from pistachio, prices of green raisins and almonds that are also sourced from Iran have witnessed the steepest escalation in recent memory. The price of green raisins has increased by 40% from Rs 600 to Rs 1,000 a kg. Marma almonds that used to sell for Rs 2,800 a kg are now retailing at Rs 3,500.The price of prunes, used in biryani and sweets, has doubled from Rs 300 a kg to Rs 500-600. Again, prunes are imported from Iran and their supplies have been hit since the outbreak of the war.“While sales of pistachio and green raisins drop in summer, those of almonds and prunes continue to remain high. We are trying to source Marma almonds from other places, but I doubt the price will reduce unless the war ends and trading returns in the region,” said Sunny Kumar, also a fourth-generation retailer of dry fruits.With the supply of these dry fruits drying up, demand for cashew that is grown in India has shot up. This has also led to its price increasing from Rs 800 a kg to Rs 1,000 now. “Many sweet shops are now making more cashew-based sweets like cashew barfi instead of those that have pista as an ingredient,” said Kumar.Though prices of dates imported from Saudi Arabia and Oman have not increased yet, retailers fear they will also rise as imports are already down 25%. Since Ramzan was underway when the war broke out and Eid-ul-Fitr was celebrated last Saturday, most of us had already stocked up on dates and other dry fruits that are sold in huge quantities during this period. Now that stocks are nearly sold out, retailers fear prices will go up unless the war ends.Supply of dry fruits and nuts from Afghanistan have also been hit. Despatches from Afghanistan were being routed through Iran port since direct shipments via the Wagah Border in Amritsar were halted in the wake of the India-Pakistan conflict two years ago. The closure of the lone Iranian route has further choked dry fruit arrivals.
