JEDDAH: Apples and oranges top the list of the most expensive fruit with rises of 25 and 20 percent respectively. Workers in the markets said prices rose because of limited supplies.

Salama Ali, a Yemeni expatriate, said the price of apples had increased over the past few days because of a total dependence on Chilean apples which are more expensive than those from other countries, such as the United States.

He said the price of a 20 kg box of apples was SR130 compared to SR95 last week and SR90 last month.

He added that there was increased demand from Jeddah as well as from distributors who come from outside Jeddah. He pointed out that Chilean apples were seen as the best and consequently were in great demand in comparison to other apples.

Abdul Basit Mohammed, a worker, said current prices were due to a lack of supply compared to other months.

He said the price of a 7 kg carton of oranges is SR20, in comparison with SR16 last week, and SR12 three weeks ago.

Orange importer Mohammed Al-Johani said the reasons for the lack of oranges in the central market in Jeddah is because of the season for orange coming to an end.

The Saudi market imports 240 tons of Egyptian oranges through the Jeddah Islamic Port, which is worth SR360 million a year.

The volume of fruit sold in the central market in Jeddah daily is estimated at 476 tons, of which oranges comprise 450 tons, 11 tons of guava and 15 tons of strawberries. Additionally, 400 tons of lemon are sold every week.

Al-Johani told a local newspaper that merchants would import African oranges to make up for shortages in the market, especially with the coming of Ramadan.