Devotees are loosening their purse strings when it comes to buying dates this season. With prices of fruits and Haleem skyrocketing, many have decided to give dates a shot.
Come Ramzan and khajur becomes a ubiquitous commodity. Right from push carts, fruit stalls, general stores and supermarkets, one can find it everywhere. It is said that around 300 trucks of khajur are imported from various countries including Tunisia, Iraq, Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Algeria.
A large chunk of the imports are of the ordinary variety priced at Rs. 45 a kg. in the wholesale market and Rs. 60 a kg. in the retail segment. Around 25 per cent of imports this year are of the costlier varieties which are priced between Rs. 100 and Rs. 2,000 a kg., explains a trader at Begum Bazaar.
A few costly varieties are Mariam , Hayani , Barhi , Khadrawy , Safawi , Khudri , and Madhafti, which are popular for their taste. The city gets around 30 varieties of dates during the month of Ramzan, says Raj Kumar of Kashmir House at Begum Bazaar.
People throng the outlets to buy different varieties of dates. “Every variety has a unique taste,” says Raj Kumar of Kashmir House at Begum Bazaar. The costliest of all the varieties is ‘Ajwa’ which is priced at Rs. 2,000 in the wholesale market. It is known for its medicinal value too.
Amongst the buyers of the costly dates are those who have been in the Gulf in the past and are familiar with the taste of each variety. Razaq, a trader from Khilwat says, “Every year I spend heavily on fruits but this year after coming to know about new varieties of dates in the market, I decided to purchase them. I am buying it in small quantities for my family,” he says.
