Sajjad Khan (42), a poor dates seller of Nowshera district is all smile after he started earning maximum capital in the lucrative market of Peshawar where the commodity is being sold like a hot cake during the holy month of Ramazan.
\nBusy like a honeybee to fulfil the orders placed by the consumers with stretched hands, Sajjad is assisted by his two sons at Pabbi fruit market where he has sold out all the stock before Aftar.
\n\u201cThe interest of Rozadars in dates this year is overwhelming despite it\u2019s high prices, and demands of Pakistan\u2019s Dhaki and Punjgor dates have increased manifolds due to mouthwatering taste and full of energy,\u201d he told APP while measuring these dates on hand scale as the sun was dipping down over Charat hills.
\nWearing the traditional turban, the motivated fruit seller said that demands of these Pakistani dates were substentially increased from GULF states due to its unique taste and affordable prices compare to AJwa and Iranian dates.
\nFazal Wahab Khan, Director Agriculture Research KP said that Pakistan was the fifth greatest producer of dates in the world.
\nAfter Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, he said Pakistan ranks amongst the largest date producing nations in the world due to its fertile land and suitable climate.
\nBesides Dhaki dates of DIKhan, he said that about 60 types of the dates are produced only the Makran division of Balochistan.
\nMany areas are used for the cultivation of dates, but Dhaki DI Khan in KP, Kech and Panjgur districts of Balochistan have a extraordinary popularity in this regard.
\nThe reason for this is that more than 45% of the dates used in Pakistan are produced in the districts .
\nHe informed that about 150,000 tonnes of dates are currently produced in Turbat, Kech on 24,200 hectares.
\nWahab said that about 106 types of dates are cultivated in Pakistan, but totally a few kinds are well-known and widely used in the market.
\n\u201cAnnually, Pakistan is producing dates between 550,000 to 650,000 metric tons (MT) and this quantity could be increased by providing financial incentives to its growers.\u201d
\nDr Ziaullah Khan, head of the medical ward at Lady Reading Hospital told APP that dates were an important food item during Ramzan.
\nHe recommended people to commence Iftar by eating at least five dates because it provides the body with necessary sugar and helping in the restoration of blood sugar level after fasting all the day.
\n\u201cOne of the most common reasons for headaches or dizziness during Ramzan is low blood sugar that is why eating dates is very beneficial at the start of Iftar to maintain sugar level and control hunger,\u201d he said.
\nHe said it is easy to digest so they don\u2019t exhaust the fasting person\u2019s stomach, adding research studies proved that having dates after fasting has got great benefits for nutrition and health of people.
\n\u201cDates decrease great hunger feeling of the fasting person and people don\u2019t rush into excessive food eating, which causes digestion disorders.\u201d
\nDr Ziaullah said dates prepare a person\u2019s stomach to receive food after being inactive throughout the day by activating the release of digestive secretions and juices rich with sugary energy.
\nThe scientific studies showed that eating dates were extremely beneficial for pregnant women and lactating mothers as it contains certain stimulants, which assist in strengthening the muscles of the womb that can lead to an easier delivery and good health of newborns.
\nHe said that dates may be consumed even after Ramazan keeping in view of its seen and unseen numerous health benefits for people.
\nIn Peshawar, the dates outlets have attracted faithful in substantial numbers ahead of Iftar.
\nAll the fruits markets of Peshawar including Gul Bhar, Firdus, Hasthnagri, Chamkani, Faqirabad, Boards, Tehkal, Cantonment, Pishtakhara, Kohat, Dalazak Roads and Qissa Khwani bazaar etc are flooded with different varieties of dates, attracting buyers despite it\u2019s high prices.
\nGreat rush of buyers was seen on dates outlets at these areas where the commodity was being sold like a hot cake. \u201cDhaki Kajoor (date) is my prime choice for Iftar. I have bought six kilograms dates including two kilogram each for my married daughters as special Ramazan gift,\u201d said Fayaz Khan, a retired Wapda employee and resident of Wapda Town Peshawar at Qissa Khwani bazaar while talking to APP.
\nOwing to its delicious taste and numerous health and nutrition benefits, date is an integral part of almost every \u201cDastarkhwan\u201d and a prime choice of the rozadars (fasting people) during Iftar parties.
\nThe business of imported and locally produced dates (Kajoor) have get upward boom during Ramzan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including seven merged tribal districts where people thronged to its shop after Zuhar prayer.
\nThis year, Muzafati date is being sold at Rs420-440 per kilogram compared to RsRs400-420 last year. Similarly, Iranian dates are being sold at Rs280-300 this year as against Rs260 per kg last year and its price is quite high this year that needed to be checked by the district administration in Khyber Pakthunkhwa.
\nDhaki DI Khan\u2019s dates are also almost out of reach of poor people as it is being sold at Rs440-460 this year against Rs380-400 last year in Peshawar where high inflation and skyrocketing prices irked Rozadars.
\n\u201cDespite its high prices, Ajwa Kajoor are my favorite item and my iftar party cannot be complete without it,\u201d said Riazul Haq, a former PST teacher while talking to APP at Pabbi bazaar.
\n\u201cI prefers Ajwa dates due to its better taste and numerous nutrition and health benefits. However my family and friends liked Dhaki dates of DI Khan during Iftar as it help in restoration of blood sugar levels after fasting all day.\u201d
\nPunjgor dates are also attracting consumers in large number in local markets due to it\u2019s better quality and nutritious level. \u201cMy sister has requested four kilograms\u2019 dates but I purchased only two kilograms because of its high prices in Peshawar,\u201d said Riaz.
\nThe consumers said it was the responsibility of district administration to control prices of daily use items including dates in open markets during Ramazanul Mubarak and urged DCs to activate his staff to control price hikes during Ramadan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sajjad Khan (42), a poor dates seller of Nowshera district is all smile after he started earning maximum capital in the lucrative market of Peshawar where the commodity is being sold like a hot cake during the holy month of Ramazan. Busy like a honeybee to fulfil the orders placed by the consumers with stretched …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":77895,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-77864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77864"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77864\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":77898,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77864\/revisions\/77898"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/77895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}