Lok Sabha Question No. 2588 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-09
Subject: Price Rise of Essential Commodities
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Ramapati Ram Tripathi

## Government of India

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2588

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.07.2019

## PRICE RISE OF ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES

2588.   DR. RAMAPATI RAM TRIPATHI: (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 Government has paid attention to the rising prices of essential commodities such as foodgrains, pulses, edible oils and vegetables including onions in the country during the recent months;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and
- (c) the details of the remedial steps taken/being taken by the Government to put a check on the rising prices of food items?

## ANSWER

## miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k jkT; ea=h ¼Jh nkuos jkolkgsc nknkjko½

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI DANVE RAOSAHEB DADARAO)

- (a)  & (b) :  All India Daily Average Retail Prices of 22 essential food items including vegetables for recent months of current year are at Annexure .   Prices of food items are inter-alia affected by mismatch in  demand  and  supply,  shortfall  in  production  owing  to  adverse  weather  conditions  and  seasonality, increased transportation costs, supply chain constraints like lack of storage facilities, artificial shortage created by hoarding and black marketing, etc.
- (c) :      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  duty  and  export  management  through  instruments  like    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  promulgation  of appropriate 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),  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  agrihorticultural  commodities  like  pulses,  onion,  and  potato.  Ministry  of  Food  Processing  Industries (MoFPI) is implementing scheme 'Operation Greens' for integrated development of Tomato, Onion and Potato  (TOP)  value  chain  which,  inter  alia,  has  the  objective  of  price  stabilization  for  producers  and consumers through production planning in the TOP clusters and introduction of dual use varieties.

## ANNEUXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) & (b) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2588 FOR 09.07.2019 REGARDING PRICE RISE OF ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

(Unit: in ₹/kg.)

| Year Commodity         |   April 2019 |   May 2019 |   June 2019 |
|------------------------|--------------|------------|-------------|
| Rice                   |        30.41 |      30.86 |       31.54 |
| Wheat                  |        25.98 |      26.14 |       26.43 |
| Atta (Wheat)           |        27.68 |      27.81 |       27.91 |
| Gram Dal               |        64.83 |      65.64 |       66.16 |
| Tur/Arhar Dal          |        75.65 |      79.22 |       83.22 |
| Urad Dal               |        71.76 |      72.38 |       75.2  |
| Moong Dal              |        76.55 |      78.75 |       81.92 |
| Masoor Dal             |        61.99 |      61.87 |       62.6  |
| Groundnut Oil (Packed) |       126.6  |     127.95 |      129.05 |
| Mustard Oil (Packed)   |       108.3  |     108.52 |      109.15 |
| Vanaspati (Packed)     |        80.53 |      80.25 |       79.64 |
| Soya Oil (Packed)      |        91.84 |      92.23 |       92.31 |
| Sunflower Oil (Packed) |        98.75 |      99.31 |       99.32 |
| Palm Oil (Packed)      |        75.02 |      75.27 |       74.72 |
| Potato                 |        15.96 |      16.98 |       18.2  |
| Onion                  |        16.25 |      16.96 |       19.04 |
| Tomato                 |        25.89 |      32.57 |       35.89 |
| Sugar                  |        37.96 |      38.34 |       38.59 |
| Gur                    |        42.72 |      43.41 |       44.42 |
| Milk (₹/ltr.)          |        43.24 |      43.47 |       43.27 |
| Tea Loose              |       211.3  |     212.26 |      213.02 |
| Salt Pack (Iodised)    |        15.35 |      15.28 |       15.38 |

Source: - State Civil Supplies Deptt.

*****