Karachi: Due to the destruction of the local crop due to floods and import difficulties due to the unavailability of dollars, the date trade is in crisis.
According to the traders of the date market of Le Market, the main date market of Karachi, this season is facing the worst situation. At the local level, the date crop produced in Khairpur Sindh and Panjgur and Turbat areas of Balochistan has been affected by floods.
The stock of local dates in the market is negligible, while according to Hanif Baloch, President of Date Traders and Retailers Association, the demand of not only Karachi but also Sindh and other provinces of the country is met from the market, but this year local dates are not available. Non-availability of dollars for exports and imports put traders in a difficult situation.
He said that only Iranian dates are being sold in the market this year, which are coming to Pakistan due to partnership with Iranian traders. The price of Iranian dates this year is also double that of last year. The price of dates was 8000 rupees per maund, which is being sold at 15000 to 17000 rupees per maund this year.
He said that the imports are 60 to 70 percent less and traders have very less stocks of imported dates. President of Date Merchants Association Mohammad Saber said that the date market is under immense pressure, the local date crop is bad and only Iranian dates are being sold in the market.
He said that Iranian Zahidi dates are being sold at 12 to 14 thousand rupees, Iranian suburban open dates are selling at 16 thousand rupees, while suburban dates sold in packets are being sold up to 18 thousand rupees. Iranian dry dates are being sold at Rs 600 per kg while Panjgur dates are being sold at Rs 700 per kg at various superstores in Karachi.
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