Lok Sabha Question No. 5269 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-27
Subject: Prices of Essential Commodities
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: MAULANA BADRUDDIN AJMAL

## Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

## Government of India Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5269

TO BE ANSWERED 27.03.2018

## PRICES OF ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES

## 5269.   SHRI BADRUDDIN AJMAL:

## Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  wholesale  and  retail  prices  of  essential  food  items  have  drastically  surged during the last two years;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, item-wise;
- (c) whether retail inflation of essential items has increased;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and
- (e) the corrective measures taken by the Government?

## ANSWER

## miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k jkT; ea=h ¼Jh lh- vkj- pkS/kjh½

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

- (a)  &  (b)  :    Item-wise  details  of  All  India  daily  average  retail  and  wholesale  prices  of  22 essential food items is at Annexure .
- (c)  to  (e):    All  India  inflation  rates(%)  based  on  Consumer  Price  Index(CPI)  and  Consumer Food  Price  Index(CFPI),  brought  out  by  M/o  Statistics  and  Programme  Implementation (MoSPI) are as under:

Base 2012=100

|                    | Inflation rate (%)   | Inflation rate (%)   |
|--------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
| Year               | CPI                  | CFPI                 |
| February, 2016     | 5.26                 | 5.30                 |
| February, 2017     | 3.65                 | 2.01                 |
| February, 2018 (P) | 4.44                 | 3.26                 |

(P): Provisional

Government  has  taken  various measures from time to time to stabilize prices of essential food items which, inter-alia, include appropriately utilizing trade and fiscal policy instruments like  import  and  export  duty,  Minimum  Export  Price,  export  restrictions,  etc.  to  regulate domestic availability and moderate prices; imposition of stock limits; and, provision of higher Minimum  Support  Prices  to  incentivize  farmers  for  increasing  production.  Government  is implementing Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), for holistic growth of the horticulture sector covering  fruits, vegetables, etc. Besides,  Government  is  also implementing Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) scheme to help moderate the volatility in prices of agri-horticultural commodities like onion, potato and pulses.

*****

## ANNEXURE

## STATEMENT REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) & (b) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5269 FOR 27.03.2018 REGARDING PRICES OF ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES.

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| Commodities                | All India Daily Average Retail Price ( ₹/Kg)   | All India Daily Average Retail Price ( ₹/Kg)   | All India Daily Average Retail Price ( ₹/Kg)   | All India Daily Average Wholesale Price ( ₹/Qtl)   | All India Daily Average Wholesale Price ( ₹/Qtl)   | All India Daily Average Wholesale Price ( ₹/Qtl)   |
|----------------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|
| Commodities                | Price As On                                    | 1 Year Ago                                     | 2 years Ago                                    | Price As On                                        | 1 Year Ago                                         | 2 years Ago                                        |
| Commodities                | 21-03- 2018                                    | 21-03- 2017                                    | 21-03- 2016                                    | 21-03-2018                                         | 21-03-2017                                         | 21-03-2016                                         |
| Rice                       | 30.36                                          | 28.99                                          | 26.35                                          | 2720.51                                            | 2589.76                                            | 2353.24                                            |
| Wheat                      | 24.62                                          | 24.51                                          | 22.82                                          | 2197.09                                            | 2164.94                                            | 2012.45                                            |
| Atta (Wheat)               | 26.92                                          | 26.64                                          | 24.16                                          | 2368.15                                            | 2325.5                                             | 2135.17                                            |
| Gram Dal                   | 70.03                                          | 87.92                                          | 65.66                                          | 6302.39                                            | 7994.22                                            | 6034.11                                            |
| Tur/Arhar Dal              | 73.5                                           | 87.77                                          | 133.77                                         | 6696.39                                            | 8081                                               | 12474.1                                            |
| Urad Dal                   | 73.62                                          | 97.64                                          | 133.18                                         | 6690.22                                            | 8936.34                                            | 12452.07                                           |
| Moong Dal                  | 73.71                                          | 78.47                                          | 100.68                                         | 6691.83                                            | 7047.05                                            | 9262.96                                            |
| Masoor Dal                 | 61.99                                          | 74.03                                          | 78.7                                           | 5477.83                                            | 6638.49                                            | 7194.17                                            |
| Sugar                      | 40.09                                          | 42.32                                          | 34.85                                          | 3735.45                                            | 3967.24                                            | 3254.69                                            |
| Milk (per litre/100 litre) | 42.17                                          | 40.96                                          | 39.87                                          | 3941.34                                            | 3763.18                                            | 3726.38                                            |
| Groundnut Oil              | 126.36                                         | 133.48                                         | 122.72                                         | 11915.41                                           | 12481.84                                           | 11552.21                                           |
| Mustard Oil                | 106.78                                         | 110                                            | 104.06                                         | 9783.74                                            | 10029.49                                           | 9611.47                                            |
| Vanaspati                  | 80.16                                          | 77.62                                          | 69.76                                          | 7431.57                                            | 7091.99                                            | 6469.81                                            |
| Soya Oil                   | 88.6                                           | 85.82                                          | 80.11                                          | 8282.19                                            | 7910.76                                            | 7418.66                                            |
| Sunflower Oil              | 94.16                                          | 93.38                                          | 94.39                                          | 8809.24                                            | 8725.97                                            | 8970.22                                            |
| Palm Oil                   | 76.54                                          | 70.3                                           | 64.26                                          | 7150.28                                            | 6534.73                                            | 6052.44                                            |
| Gur                        | 43.76                                          | 43.16                                          | 38.49                                          | 3890                                               | 3810.01                                            | 3395.9                                             |
| Tea Loose                  | 206.53                                         | 199.23                                         | 197.69                                         | 18416.4                                            | 17725.68                                           | 17926.07                                           |
| Salt Pack                  | 14.85                                          | 14.85                                          | 15.3                                           | 1243.52                                            | 1236.88                                            | 1320.53                                            |
| Potato                     | 16.11                                          | 13.43                                          | 14.09                                          | 1196.82                                            | 967.93                                             | 1109.24                                            |
| Onion                      | 25.09                                          | 14.4                                           | 16.06                                          | 1956.7                                             | 1063.45                                            | 1231.54                                            |
| Tomato                     | 17.02                                          | 16.79                                          | 16.49                                          | 1218                                               | 1252.39                                            | 1234.99                                            |

Source: State Civil Supplies Departments