Srinagar traders see rising demand for dates during Ramadan
Mir Sabeen Gulrez
Srinagar, Apr 29: During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims in the valley devour massive numbers of dates, locally known as “Khezir.” After fasting for the full day, Muslims all over the world break their fast with dates, which is considered a Sunnah (prophetic tradition) of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).According to the survey done by News Kashmir Magazine Reporter Mir Sabeen Gulrez, the sale of dates in the first fifteen days of Ramdhan in the business hub of Srinagar’s Maharaja Bazar is 80 kg to 100 kg per day, while it’s more at some other shops as well.This figure varies from market to market as sales increase. If we talk about Koker Bazar in Srinagar, their sales are almost 100-200 Kg per day in the first fifteen days, while this figure decreases in the last fifteen days.Same as if we talk about Zaina Kadal Downtown and the whole sale market, which is a hub for dates and dry fruit, their sales are always at the higher end as compared to the retail markets of Srinagar’s Lal Chowk.
People usually sell 8–10 kgs of dry fruit per day in the first fifteen days, while the same sale decreases in the last fifteen days.
While talking with News Kashmir Magazine, Umar Mehraj, shopkeeper, Haji Mehraj Din Wani and Sons, said that, “If we see in the past three years, the market was hit very badly because of the pandemic, as people were not able to come out of their houses, and this year, Alhamdulillah, we had a very good market for dates, consumption was very good.”
We can see there is a variety of dates available in the market as at least fifteen to twenty-five (15–25) varieties of dates are available in which we have ”Ajwa dates,” “Mabroom,” “Ambar,” “Khalil” and so on. The dates that are exported from Medina are always in demand. Mostly, dates are exported from Tunisia, Palastine, Iran, Algeria and also many other countries. Market sales vary
From market to market. If we talk about Lal Chowk and Maharaj Bazar, they’re a business hub for these kinds of products. That’s why we see a big sale of dates during the initial days of Ramdhan. Now, it’s not only Ramadan that people prefer dates but also throughout the year.
in a chat, another shopkeeper, Kamran Mushtaq, said that, ”In the holy month of Ramdhan, mostly in the first fifteen (15) days, we usually sell 80kg to 100kg (one quintal) of dates.
We have a variety of dates available in which ”Ajwa Dates, Mabroom, Khalil, Medjol, Kemiya, Barari, National Dates, Sultan, Black Negin, Noor, Crown Dates, Pearl, Liberty, Ambar dates are available.
On priority In the market, Kalmi, Mabroom, and Ajwa Dates are on sale. Customers usually ask for this variety of dates, so they are always in demand. And about price, they are usually sold at the rate of Rs 500/= to Rs 1000/= per kg.
The Date Market in Kashmir this Ramadan full of positive realities .
