Lok Sabha Question No. 345 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-02-04
Subject: Prices of Farm Produce
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Sisir Kumar Adhikari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 345 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 4 TH  FEBRUARY, 2020

## PRICES OF FARM PRODUCE

345.   SHRI SISIR KUMAR ADHIKARI:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is true that in the last eight months monthly average, the price of farming varieties specially vegetables have risen to over 150 per cent in comparison to the price in March 2019;
- (b) whether it is also a fact that during the last 6 years period, the agricultural products prices  have  soared  over  300  per  cent  in  comparison  to  year-to-year  and  if  so,  the  details thereof; and
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  decided  to  stop  export  of  vegetables  and  farming varieties to check the price hike thereof and if so, the action taken so far and the reaction in the market thereto?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a): The prices of agricultural produce are determined by supply and demand conditions in the market on a day-to-day basis.  Apart from demand and supply conditions, quality of produce, weather condition, seasonality, availability of stocks and international prices are also affecting the prices of agricultural produce. Price of agricultural produce tends to fall after harvesting season due to increase in market arrival of new crops.

The  percentage  rise  in  wholesale  prices  of  vegetables  in  the  last  eight  months  in comparison to the wholesale prices of March, 2019 for vegetables are given below:

| Vegetables    |   Apr, 19 |   May, 19 |   Jun, 19 |   Jul, 19 |   Aug, 19 |   Sep, 19 |   Oct, 19 |   Nov, 19 |   Dec, 19 |
|---------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Potato        |      1.45 |      2.32 |      2.8  |      3.72 |      3.39 |      3.12 |      5.43 |      5.42 |     10.25 |
| Onion         |      1.8  |      4.28 |      6.27 |      6.79 |     13.91 |     25.37 |     23.53 |     47.3  |     63.17 |
| Tomato        |      2.17 |      9.34 |      3.49 |      8.18 |      3.26 |      2.3  |      6.41 |      1.99 |     -1.1  |
| Beans         |      0.23 |      1.22 |      1.75 |      0.94 |      1.4  |     -0.7  |      0.89 |      0.4  |      1.33 |
| Bitter Gourd  |     -1.22 |     -2.21 |     -2.16 |     -2.92 |     -3.62 |     -3.74 |     -3.44 |     -2.3  |     -2.83 |
| Bottle Gourd  |      0.04 |     -2.09 |     -1.15 |     -1.53 |      0.79 |      2.33 |      3.97 |      2.6  |     -0.11 |
| Brinjal       |      0.97 |     -0.49 |     -0.13 |     -0.4  |      1.31 |      0.43 |      1.38 |     -0.47 |     -0.27 |
| Cabbage       |      0.49 |      1.38 |      1.21 |      4.1  |      3.75 |      3.51 |      4.32 |      4.36 |      1.8  |
| Carrot        |      4.82 |      4.63 |     10.03 |      9.32 |     12.23 |      8.53 |     17.2  |     18.05 |     11.39 |
| Cauliflower   |      0.17 |      1.81 |      5.08 |      5.58 |      5.7  |      2.91 |      1.13 |      0.81 |      0.64 |
| Cucumber      |     -0.85 |     -1.82 |      0.8  |      2.05 |      2.27 |      3.18 |      0.45 |      2.84 |      1.25 |
| Drumstick     |      0.23 |      1.36 |      8.8  |     12.12 |      9.63 |      8.25 |     14.19 |     43.37 |     76.41 |
| Ladyfinger    |     -0.24 |     -3.81 |     -3.65 |     -3.42 |     -4.72 |     -4.11 |     -2.13 |      2.35 |      3.7  |
| Lemon         |      0.86 |      1.95 |      1.34 |      0.55 |      4.12 |      6.54 |     -0.12 |     -3.78 |     -6.4  |
| Pointed Gourd |     -2.16 |     -4.55 |     -5.98 |     -5.95 |     -4.79 |     -4.57 |     -3.27 |     -3.4  |     -3.17 |
| Pumpkin       |      0.51 |     -0.34 |      0.59 |     -0.94 |     -2.71 |     -2.12 |     -0.68 |      1.02 |      2.2  |
| Tapioca       |      0.78 |      1.31 |      1.12 |      1.22 |      1.33 |      1.61 |      1.11 |      1.5  |      1.54 |

(b): The percent rate of inflation based on Wholesale Price Index (WPI) during last six years period (year-on-year) for the agricultural products are given below:

| Commodity                    |   2014 |   2015 |   2016 |   2017 |   2018 |   2019 |   2019 over 2013 |
|------------------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|------------------|
| PRIMARY ARTICLES             |   3.73 |  -1.04 |   3.23 |   1.8  |   2.07 |   6.25 |            16.98 |
| FOOD ARTICLES                |   6.13 |   3    |   4.49 |   2.22 |  -0.35 |   7.45 |            25.03 |
| FOOD GRAINS (CEREALS+PULSES) |   4.16 |   5.01 |  11.62 |  -3.2  |  -1.03 |   9.51 |            28.07 |
| CEREALS                      |   4.59 |  -0.08 |   7.7  |   2.64 |   2.92 |   8.42 |            28.92 |
| PULSES                       |   1.81 |  30.28 |  26.11 | -21.94 | -17.79 |  15.41 |            23.88 |
| VEGETABLES                   |  -4.42 |  -5.33 |  -4.07 |  12.51 |  -7.22 |  26.16 |            14.31 |
| FRUITS                       |  15.63 |   3.36 |   4.46 |   3.84 |   1.74 |   1.9  |            34.39 |
| CONDIMENTS & SPICES          |  18.39 |  15.79 |   5.56 | -11.17 |   3    |   5.83 |            40.13 |
| OIL SEEDS                    |   3.19 |   4.72 |   1.11 |  -6.43 |   8.05 |   8    |            19.3  |

(c): In view of the prevailing adverse domestic onion availability and price rise situation in India,  export  of  all  varieties  of  onions  has  been  prohibited  by  the  Government.  However, Government allowed export of Bangalore Rose Onion upto 9,000 MT through Chennai Port till 30.11.2019.

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