30 per cent rise in sales of Iranian variety compared to last year, say traders
A worker dries vermicelli, consumed during the month of Ramzan, at a shop in Tondiarpet. (Photo: DC)
Chennai: With Ramzan, the Islamic holy month entering its first week, inflow of black dates, a highly nutritional variety from Iran, has swept the Chennai dates market.
Buyers, mostly followers of Islam faith, have been thronging the market as the fruit is a must to break the fast in the evening.
According to market statistics, 90 per cent of the dates sold during the season are 'Black Kajoor' from Iran at a wholesale rate of Rs 150-170 per kilogram and at a retail rate of Rs 200-300 per kg. Traders maintained that there has been a 30 per cent rise in the sales of the Iranian variety compared with 2014..
"Black Kajoor arrives mainly during the Ramzan month. Retailers prefer this variety because it has a huge demand. People prefer this over yellow and brown dates owing to its taste and vitamin content," said Vipul Kumar, a wholesale trader who has been selling dates at the Parry's market for the past 30 years. This time around the of arrival of 'Back Kajoor' variety has increased to four lorries compared with two lorries (each lorry carrying 17,000 kg of dates).
The 'Black Kajoor' is also by and large preferred by most due to its sweetness, softness and nutrient value. "Compared to the yellow and brown date, the black date is sweet and moreover is not processed unlike the others where the original variety is squeezed and made dry," said Shabeer Ahmmed, a software employee working in Guindy.
The 'Black Kajoor' that mainly arrives at Chennai from Mumbai by road is shipped to India in the month of June. The other varieties of dates that are often seen in the markets are yellow dates, brown dates, and the Saudi dates.
Yellow dates are the most common variety that floods the markets throughout the year. Their retail cost is around Rs 40-50 per kg. The Saudi variety dates is tipped to be the costliest among all dates and is sold at a retail price of Rs 750 per kg.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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