Dry fruits, chicken soup prices skyrocket

As winter is approaching, prices of dry fruits, desi chicken broth and soup have surged in Rawalpindi's open markets. Throughout the city and streets, temporary stalls and carts selling peanuts, roasted black gram, soup and broth have mushroomed.

These kiosks and stalls operate until 2am. Large roadside stalls have also been set up at the city's entrance, offering a selection of dry fruits. Additionally, dry fruit sales have kicked off, with sales of Afghani, Gilgit, Irani and Balochi dry fruits thriving.

Dry fruits have become unaffordable for people this year due to soaring prices. The peanut, one of the popular dry fruits among people of all ages, has hit an all-time high of Rs 800 per kilogram.

New taxes, customs duties and transportation charges have collectively played a role in the surge in dry fruit prices. People at government offices, shops, streets, and in neighbourhoods could be seen snacking on groundnuts, jaggery, and rewari. Many families are now enjoying broth and soup late into the night after sunset.

This season, the vendors are charging Rs160 for plain soup, Rs180 for egg soup, Rs200 for special chicken egg soup, Rs 140 for broth, and Rs180 for a special broth cup. Peanuts are being sold at Rs800 per kilogram, roasted black gram from Rs1,000 to Rs1,200 per kg, pine nut (chilgoza) between Rs16,000 and Rs20,000 per kg, normal walnuts for Rs800 per kg, good quality walnut kagzi for Rs1,200 per kg, mix dry fruit Rs2,850 per kg, roasted cashews at Rs3,650 per kg, and plain cashews for Rs3,400 per kg.

Normal almonds are available at Rs1,400 per kg, kagzi almonds at Rs1,900 per kg, black raisins at Rs1,700 per kg, pistachios at Rs3,400 per kg, nimko mix at Rs950 per kg, sundar khani fruit at Rs1,650 per kg, Afghan apricot at Rs1,750 per kg, rewari at Rs1,000 per kg, while figs are being sold at Rs3,000 per kg.

Vendors Shakir Abbasi and Fayaz Khan claim that withholding tax has increased the cost of dry fruits, while tax levies on dry fruits have also doubled. According to them, wholesale dry fruit sales have dropped 30% this year at the start of the winter season as compared to the previous year. This year, parties have bought 10-15kg dry fruit instead of up to 20kg in wholesale, the dry fruit vendors further say.

Street vendors are selling peanuts and roasted groundnuts between Rs30 and Rs100.