The retail prices of wheat and rice have seen another increase in July, reaching INR 29.59 per kilogram and INR 40.82 per kilogram, respectively. This update was brought to the attention of Parliament on Wednesday by Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti. In her written reply to the Lok Sabha, she highlighted that the prices of these essential commodities are in a state of constant flux, and the government is closely monitoring the situation to ensure the welfare of the consumers.
According to the statement, the average retail price of wheat in January stood at INR 31.58 per kg. However, this price decreased to INR 28.74 per kg in May. Subsequently, in July, the average retail price of wheat experienced another increase and reached INR 29.59 per kg.
Likewise, in the case of rice, the average retail price has risen from INR 38.09 per kg in January to INR 40.82 per kg in July.
The minister mentioned that the government has implemented several measures at different intervals to increase domestic supply and stabilize the prices of essential food commodities.
Among these steps, they encompass releases of wheat and rice under OMSS(D) from the buffer to mitigate price surges, the imposition of wheat stock limits, vigilant monitoring of stocks declared by entities to curb hoarding, and implementing restrictions on exports of these commodities, she added.
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In response to a similar inquiry, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, stated that the retail prices of rice, wheat, and atta have witnessed year-on-year increases of 10.5 per cent, 5.2 per cent, and 8.5 per cent, respectively.
Regarding vegetables, it was reported that the all-India average retail price of potatoes is approximately 12 per cent lower than the price recorded last year. However, the price of onions has seen an increase of about 5 per cent compared to the previous year, he said.
The price of tomato has increased in recent weeks on account of a combination of factors like crop seasonality, white fly disease in Kolar, instantaneous arrival of monsoon rains in northern part of the country, which adversely affected tomato crops in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, and logistics disruptions in isolated areas due to heavy rains, he added.
In order to check the current increase in prices of tomato and make it available to the consumers at affordable prices, the minister said the government has started the procurement of tomatoes under Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) and is making it available at a highly subsidised rate to consumers.