Lok Sabha Question No. 88 (STARRED), answered on 2018-07-24
Subject: Rise in Prices of Food Products
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: RAM KUMAR SHARMA KUSHWAHA, VEENA DEVI

## Government of India

## Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. *88

TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.07.2018

## RISE IN PRICES OF FOOD PRODUCTS

## *88. SHRI RAM KUMAR SHARMA:

SHRIMATI VEENA DEVI:

## (OIH)

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 the retail prices of the food products of daily use have been rising continuously in the country for the last several years including in 2018;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the prices of several products had sky rocketed in the last three years;
- (d) if so, the names of such food products and their maximum consumer selling prices; and
- (e) whether the Government has taken into account the reasons for this price rise, if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto?

## ANSWER

## miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=h ¼Jh jke foykl ikloku½

THE MINISTER OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI RAM VILAS PASWAN)

(a) to (e) : A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## ORIGINAL IN HINDI

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(a) to (d)   The  all  India  yearly  average  retail  prices  of  most  of  the  22  essential food  items  monitored  by  Department  of  Consumer  Affairs  have  declined  or remained relatively stable over three years including the year 2018 so far. Details are at Annexure. Prices of food items like pulses (gram, tur, urad, moong, masoor) and  edible  oils  like  mustard  and  groundnut  (packed)  have  declined  over  three years.  However,  food  items  like  rice,  atta,  vanaspati  oil,  soya  oil  and  palm  oil (packed), onion and milk have shown some increase.

(e) Increase in prices of food items is mainly on account of demand supply mismatch owing to shortfall in production because of adverse weather condition and seasonality, increased transportation costs, supply chain constraints like lack of storage facilities and  artificial shortage created  by hoarding  and  black marketing.

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 advising States for effective action against hoarders & black marketers ; and, provision of higher Minimum Support Prices to incentivize farmers for increasing production. Government is also implementing Schemes which, inter alia , include Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), National Food Security Mission (NFSM), National  Mission  on  Oilseeds  and  Oil  Palm  (NMOOP),  etc  for  increasing agricultural production and productivity through appropriate interventions. Besides, Government is also implementing Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) to help moderate  the  volatility  in  prices  of  agri-horticultural  commodities  like  pulses, onion, and potato.

*****

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ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION  NO.*88  FOR  24.07.2018  REGARDING  RISE  IN  PRICES  OF  FOOD PRODUCTS RAISED.

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ALL INDIA YEARLY AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF 22 ESSENTIAL FOOD ITEMS MONITORED BY DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS

(Unit: in Rs/kg)

| Year Commodities       |   2016 (1.1.2016 to 31.12.2016) |   2017 (1.1.2017 to 31.12.2017) |   2018 (1.1.2018 to 18.07.2018) |
|------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
| Rice                   |                           27.32 |                           29.23 |                           30.08 |
| Wheat                  |                           23.57 |                           23.9  |                           23.92 |
| Atta (wheat)           |                           25.16 |                           26.24 |                           26.12 |
| Gram Dal               |                           90.78 |                           87.28 |                           67.67 |
| Tur Dal                |                          131.72 |                           84.02 |                           71.87 |
| Urad Dal               |                          136.95 |                           92.35 |                           71.89 |
| Moong Dal              |                           94.55 |                           77.57 |                           73.13 |
| Masoor Dal             |                           82.75 |                           70.32 |                           61.22 |
| Groundnut Oil (Packed) |                          130.99 |                          131    |                          126.07 |
| Mustard Oil (Packed)   |                          109.47 |                          106.98 |                          105.77 |
| Vanaspati Oil (Packed) |                           74.4  |                           77.71 |                           79.86 |
| Soya Oil (Packed)      |                           82.61 |                           85.21 |                           88.62 |
| Sunflower Oil (Packed) |                           95.11 |                           93.1  |                           95.01 |
| Palm Oil (Packed)      |                           68.58 |                           70.37 |                           76.36 |
| Potato                 |                           19.28 |                           14.94 |                           17.16 |
| Onion                  |                           16.79 |                           22.41 |                           25.69 |
| Tomato                 |                           26.01 |                           32.32 |                           19.49 |
| Sugar                  |                           38.62 |                           42.63 |                           39.22 |
| Gur                    |                           42.02 |                           44.72 |                           43.23 |
| Milk@ ₹ per ltr        |                           39.96 |                           41.58 |                           42.19 |
| Tea Loose              |                          199.02 |                          202.76 |                          208.62 |
| Salt                   |                           14.98 |                           15.11 |                           15.14 |

Source: - State Civil Supplies Deptt.