Prices of Californian almonds, Washington apples, imported cherries, kiwis and berries have gone up by up to 15% due to the recent rupee depreciation. This is hurting domestic demand, that had gone up after the second wave of Covid-19.
Prices of Californian almonds have gone up by up to 10%, and with the rupee expected to slip further against the US dollar, dry fruit importers are now looking at Syria and Afghanistan to import almonds that are lesser priced. India annually imports 36,000 tonnes of dry fruits and spices.
Indians had been consuming more imported fruits like apples and blueberries from the US and the kiwifruit from Chile and New Zealand that are considered to be good for immunity building. Imports of these fruits had increased 20-30% since April last year amid the second wave of the pandemic.
