Some residents of Herat assert that unemployment is on the rise in the province, leading to a decline in people’s purchasing power. Additionally, some dried fruit vendors in Herat highlight a decrease in prices compared to last year, attributing it to the reduced purchasing power of consumers. They note a decrease in the number of customers buying dried fruits.
Hamidullah Ishaqzai in Herat has been a shopkeeper for several years. He, who has been selling dried fruits for a long time, emphasizes that he has experienced unemployment throughout the year and has been waiting for the days of Eid, but even on the eve of Eid, his business has not flourished. This shopkeeper told the Hasht-e Subh Daily, “We pay rent for the shop all year round, only hoping that Eid will bring prosperity to our business and sales will be good, but for the past three years, instead of getting better on Eid days, it has gotten worse. This year, we have no sales, and compared to previous years, our sales during Eid have decreased by 50 to 60 percent.” Hamidullah adds, “Unfortunately, the market has been ruined after the Taliban took over, and people cannot afford to buy. Before the arrival of this group, we used to have sales even on Eid nights from two to three hundred thousand Afghanis, but now it does not even reach 50 to 60 thousand Afghanis, so how can we pay for the shop rent, electricity, and salaries of the apprentice?”
Some other shopkeepers in Herat also say that the price of dried fruits in this province has decreased compared to last year and the market has slowed down. Hashmatullah, another shopkeeper selling dried fruits in the city of Herat, says that people are still not buying even though the price of dried fruits has decreased.
Hashmatullah says: “Prices have decreased compared to last year. For example, last year a kilogram of pistachios was 950 Afghanis, but now it’s 650 Afghanis. Raisins were 180 Afghanis, now they are 140 Afghanis. Pumpkin seeds were 350, now they are 260 Afghanis. Walnuts were 650, but now they are 500 Afghanis. The price of a kilogram of almonds has decreased by 200 Afghanis, but the markets are still stagnant.”
This dried fruit seller in Herat says: “We have regular and longtime customers. Those who came to buy this year had different purchasing habits compared to previous years; they were just following tradition. A customer who used to buy three to four kilograms of dried fruits last year, this year only bought one kilogram, and this lack of purchasing power among customers has caused the market to slow down.”
However, some residents of Herat say that unemployment has taken away their purchasing power, and the continuation of this situation has caused them not to be prepared for special occasions like Eid.
Aziz Ahmad, another resident of Herat, says, “People don’t have the purchasing power to buy fruits and prepare for Eid. I came from the village to the city to buy fruits for Eid, but I couldn’t buy what was necessary because unemployment for the past two or three years on the one hand and drought on the other have taken away our purchasing power.”
However, another resident of Herat points out that unemployment and poverty prevent him from preparing for Eid. Mohammad Amin, a laborer, explains that he hasn’t been able to make any arrangements for Eid. He emphasizes that Eid isn’t accessible to the poor. Speaking to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, he asks, “What does Eid have to do with a poor person? For us, Eid is simply a night when I search for work during the day to earn some money, allowing me to return home with four pieces of bread to share with my children, ensuring our bellies are full. But now, after weeks of unemployment, I can’t even afford food, let alone fruit for Eid. Sadly, we are unable to celebrate Eid.”