Bananas have of late become extremely dear in Pakistan. While the price of bananas hit the upward trajectory early this year as the crop was destroyed by the devastating floods in Sindh last year, now they have become frightfully expensive. Believe it or not, the price range was between PKR 350 to PKR 500 per dozen mid-May; less if you go for the Pakistani variety and more for the Indian bananas.
Indeed, Indian bananas have slipped into the Pakistani market in a big way over the past few months. Yes, slipped into Pakistan, because as per an Indian Customs official — named by an Indian newspaper — the first consignment of 15 tonnes of bananas were sent on May 14 only. But, fruit sellers here have been selling Indian bananas for nearly three months now though they were not so expensive then.
Always nearly double the price of the Pakistani bananas, now the Indian ones occupy pride of place in the few shops that dare to keep them as summer enters its peak. The weekly bazaars and the ordinary fruit-walas dare not keep the fruit that spoils easily and only the high-end stores frequented by the sizeable expat community in Islamabad have them.
Possibly once more bananas from India hit the market, the prices will climb down but for now the Indian bananas — however good they may be — are not exactly the best advertisement for opening up trade between the two neighbours; courtesy the price tag as their arrival in the Pakistani market did not necessarily bring down the prices as is often argued by the advocates of Indo-Pak trade. For even with the fast falling Indian rupee, PKR 500 for a dozen means coughing up INR 300 for 12 bananas!
