Wet blanket over dry fruit market amid Gauri Vrat despite low prices

VADODARA: Cheaper dry fruits would have been something that many would have relished. But that is hardly the case this season despite Gauri Vrat in the state when demand increases significantly. Despite lower prices, the material is not flying off the shelf as one would have expected.
During the fasts, the girls do not eat salt and other cereals for five days.A feast is held on the sixth day of the festival. During the five days of fasting it has become customary to eat dry fruits. But thanks to the economic slowdown due to Covid-19, that is not the case this year.
Harsh Kalda, a prominent retail as well as wholesale dealer of dry fruits, said that the demand was down by around 10 to 20 per cent in Vadodara. This is despite a fall in the prices of almonds, apricots and other dry fruits. Prices of cashews and raisins have remained almost similar as compared to last year.
But the situation is bad in nearby areas, despite fall in prices of most dry fruits there too. Shrenik Gandhi, a whole seller from Godhra, said that the demand was only 60 to 70% of last year. “People from villages are not buying and those in the city are also buying in limited quantities,” he said.
Dhwani Shah from Godhra holds the fast every year and spent Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 last year. Se said that she bought things worth only Rs 1,500 this time. “I will prefer eating fresh fruits and home-made items,” she said.
Rutu Patel, too, said that given the situation around, she did not feel like spending a lot this year.
Naishadh Thakker, an Ahmedabad-based retailer, said that high-end shops and products had not been affected as the affluent class was not averse to buying dry fruits for their daughters. “The overall demand has definitely gone down. Dry fruits of medium and low quality are not being picked up like previous years as the middle and lower classes are looking for other options,” he said.