Mumbai/New Delhi: As new kharif crops start arriving in the markets by this time, prices of vegetables and grain begin to cool. But this is yet to happen this season due to the late monsoon downpour across the country that caused the supply crunch.
Vegetable prices are still ruling high. Potato, tomato, cauliflower, spinach and other green vegetables are selling at around 50 per cent higher rates compared with the last winter season.
According to a trader, early crops got damaged due to rains. Though tomato prices have come down considerably compared to last month, it was still higher than last year.
Rains in October in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and elsewhere have affected onion, tomato and other vegetables, as well as oilseeds and pulses crops. It has also led to a rise in prices of edible oil and pulses.
As per the data presented by Ram Vilas Paswan, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, in Parliament recently, onion prices have increased over 400 per cent after March.
Prices of onions rose from Rs 15.87 a kg in March to Rs 81.90 a kg on December 3, 2019, the data showed.
According to the data, prices of rice, wheat, flour, pulses, edible oil, tea, sugar, jaggery, vegetables and milk have shown an upward trend this year. Even prices of wheat and rice increased nearly 10 per cent.
The hike in prices of vegetables and other food items pushed the November retail inflation to 5.54 per cent from 4.62 per cent in October, highest since 2016. The consumer price index-based retail inflation was 2.33 per cent in November 2018.
