Afghanistan crisis: Shortage drives up dry fruit prices

With the Taliban sealing Afghanistan’s land border trade routes, resulting in the stoppage of import-export transactions with India, prices of dry fruits have gone up by 15-20% in India. It is likely to shoot up more in the wake of the ensuing festive and winter seasons if the trade doesn’t commence soon. Indian importers, however, are of the view that this suspension is temporary and regular import-export will resume in the next few days.The president of the Indo Foreign Chamber of Commerce, B K Bajaj, on Thursday said the increase in prices “was expected” under such circumstances, pointing out that dry fruits were a luxury item and not essential commodities.