Dry fruit prices spike after supply from Kashmir, Afghanistan & third countries

Pistachio prices have increased nearly 20% since India closed the Attari-Wagah border after the April 22  attack near Pahalgam in Kashmir. Along with pistachio, India imports nearly 90% of dried figs and heeng it consumes, 50% of saffron, dried apricots and munakka from Afghanistan via the land route through Pakistan.  

Pine nut cultivation in Kashmir

Following the Pahalgam attack, the Attari-Wagah border closure disrupted dry fruit trade from Afghanistan to India, possibly causing a 20–35% price hike due to restrictions.

Despite years of war and internal conflict, Afghanistan remains the largest source of dry fruits for India. The Federation of Grocers and Dry Fruit Traders said, "After the closure of the Attari-Wagah border on April 22, no truck carrying dry fruits is coming to Attari from Kandahar in Afghanistan. On the Pakistani side, there are about 200 trucks parked at the Wagah border, which are not being allowed to enter India.

Ferula-Heeng Kashmir
Asafoetida-Ferula asafetida-Heeng is a spice that is an integral part of the Indian cuisine. It is a natural medicine and a go-to home remedy for digestion-related problems. A recent project by the JKMPIC has given Kashmir a chance to taste the spice cultivated in its own land. The JKMPIC has planted 5000 saplings of ferula asafoetida in 2019.

Ferula asafetida Kashmir

There are about 100 trucks carrying 35 to 40 tonnes of dry fruits from Afghanistan to Pakistan at the Attari border in India, which mainly come from Kandahar in Afghanistan, and some come from Kabul, but due to the closure of the border by Pakistan, they are now unable to enter India. About 90 per cent of the dry fruits arrive in January and February, as there are no storage facilities in Afghanistan.