The holy month of Ramadan has begun around the world. The month is deeply sacred to Muslims, and fasting and iftar go hand in hand. The devout fast all day without food to please Allah, and the one name most associated with fasting and iftar is the date. Dates are always on the iftar table alongside other food; without them iftar hardly feels complete.

In Kolkata there is also heavy demand for dry fruits alongside dates. Dry-fruit assortments are made up of dates, cashew nuts, raisins, cherries and other dried fruit. During Ramadan, dates from home and abroad are available in Kolkata's markets, some packaged and others sold loose. Loose dates are in greater demand.

Despite the demand, Kolkata's date sellers say sales have not been particularly brisk this Ramadan. Rajendra Sau, a wholesale date seller at Sealdah's Baithakkhana Bazar, said loose dates were Rs 90 a kg retail, and Rs 400 for one wholesale pallah (5 kg). Prices are a little higher because it is Ramadan, he said.

According to another wholesaler, Manindra Kumar Yadav, dates are selling for Rs 10–15 a kg more than before because of Ramadan. Dates that used to sell for Rs 70–80 a kg now sell for Rs 90–95, he said.

Retailer Saheb Gazi said date prices had risen because of Ramadan. Dates that used to sell for Rs 70–80 are now selling for Rs 100–120, he said.

Dark brown dates in fancy packaging have arrived in Kolkata by ship from the Arab lands and are being sold from Kolkata to markets across West Bengal, at Rs 250–350 a packet, and in some places Rs 400.

Cashew nuts are also expensive. Good cashews cost Rs 800 a kg, though some places sell them for Rs 700 and others for Rs 650. Raisins sell for Rs 250–300.

Meanwhile, date prices in Bangladesh have soared since the start of Ramadan. Prices rise somewhat every year during the fasting month, but this year's increase has broken all previous records. Even ordinary dates of various kinds are largely out of reach of ordinary people. For people already squeezed by the prices of other essentials, dates have become a luxury at iftar.

This year, 5 kg of Mariam dates sells wholesale for Tk 4,300 to Tk 5,500 depending on quality, against Tk 2,500 to a maximum of Tk 4,000 last year. Kalmi dates sell for Tk 4,200, against Tk 2,500 last year. Five kg of Ajwa dates sells for Tk 3,500–4,200, against Tk 2,600 to a maximum of Tk 3,200 last year. Mabroom dates sell for Tk 3,500–4,500 this year, against Tk 2,200–3,200 last year. Medjool, which sold for Tk 5,500–6,000 last year, now sells for Tk 7,500–8,000. Compared with last year, date prices have risen by Tk 200–600 a kg.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.