Kolkata: Dry fruits, a popular Diwali gift and an essential ingredient in festive sweets and delicacies, have become significantly more expensive this year, with prices of some varieties soaring by nearly 60% compared with last Diwali. The steep increase has prompted consumers to cut down on purchases, while several businesses are opting for sweets and chocolates instead of traditional dry fruit hampers for gifting.According to wholesalers and retailers, prices of different varieties of dry fruits have risen by 25% to 60% over the past year. The West Asia conflict, lower production in some countries of origin and the rising cost of the dollar have contributed to the increase.Pistachios have witnessed one of the steepest increases. Selling at around Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,300 per kg last Diwali, they are now priced between Rs 1,800 and Rs 2,000 per kg, depending on the variety. Walnuts, which were available at around Rs 1,300 per kg last year, are now selling for approximately Rs 1,700 to Rs 1,800 per kg.Almond prices have increased from around Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,600 per kg, while cashews have become dearer by around Rs 400 per kg. Raisin prices, too, have increased by Rs 100 to Rs 150 per kg.“Prices of dry fruits are extremely high this year due to several reasons, including geopolitical tensions and inflation. Varieties like pistachios, cashews, almonds and raisins are popular gift items during Diwali, and prices of all these varieties are up by a large margin,” said Mohammad Alam, owner of New Bombay Dry Fruits at SS Hogg Market.One of the major factors driving the price rise is the disruption of shipping routes because of the conflict in West Asia. Shipments are facing diversions, leading to longer transit times and higher transportation expenses. Increased freight charges and insurance premiums have further raised the cost of importing dry fruits.The price rise is also changing consumer preferences. Retailers said customers are increasingly opting for sweets and chocolates instead of dry fruits for Diwali gifting. Those who continue to buy dry fruits are purchasing smaller quantities to keep their festive expenditure under control.“Due to the high prices of dry fruits, orders for gift hampers have come down this year. Those purchasing them for gifting purposes are opting for cashews and almonds over pistachios and walnuts,” said Amit Gupta of Gupta Stores.In Burrabazar, the biggest wholesale and retail market for dry fruits, traders said the sales have been subdued due to high prices. “Dry fruits are used as gift items and also to prepare sweets on Diwali. So the demand is very high during the festival. But this year, due to the high prices of all the varieties, the sales have been lower,” said Manoj Agarwal, a wholesaler in Mechua.The impact is being felt in corporate gifting as well. Several businesses that traditionally distributed dry fruit hampers among their clients and associates have switched to more affordable alternatives. “We gift a dry fruit hamper to our business associates every year on Diwali. This year, we have gifted dry fruits only to a few clients and opted for sweets for others,” said the owner of a digital marketing agency in the city.
