Amritsar: High cost of dry fruit pushes up rates of traditional sweets by 20%

The rising cost of dry fruit has further escalated the cost of sweets this Diwali. On an average, the cost of some of the traditional sweets in which dry fruit is liberally mixed has increased by about 20 per cent before the festival of lights.

Confectioners and traditional sweetmeat makers said though the cost of several ingredients has gone up this season, the rates of mithais (sweets) have not been hiked accordingly.

Amitesh Singh, Director of a leading local chain of confectioner, which also has interest in automobiles, reacting to the hike in the prices of traditional sweetmeat, said the hike was limited to a range of sweets. He said there was an overall hike in several other ingredients as well. However, the hike in three major varieties of dry fruit made them pass it to the customers as they are profusely used in the preparation of sweets.

Anil Mehra, a wholesale dry fruit merchant, said as compared to last year, the wholesale prices of cashew have increased from Rs 450 to Rs 750 per kg, pistachio from Rs 1,400 to Rs 1,800 and almonds from Rs 600 to Rs 650. Various varieties of dry fruit has gone up as compared to last year.

A kilogram of kaju katli is being sold between Rs 1,050 and Rs 1,080, which was sold for Rs 900 last year, pinni from Rs 740 to Rs 800, panjeri from Rs 900 to Rs 1,100.

Sushil Bansal, owner of a leading local chain of traditional sweetmeat maker, said roughly, sweets worth Rs 4-5 crore has, so far, been sold this festival season. Their main stress is to maintain quality by using quality ingredients.