The country has surplus grain stocks, and the West Asian conflict has not impacted essential food items like pulses or edible oil, while prices are currently steady, a government official familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
The consumer affairs department is monitoring the availability and prices of all commodities. All-India average retail rates for items such as tomato, peas and cauliflower were 10% lower in February compared to a month ago due to robust arrivals, according to the official.
India’s consumer inflation rose for the fourth straight month to 3.21% in February from a year ago and up from 2.75% in the previous month, the statistics ministry said in a release Thursday. Food inflation rose 3.47% year-on-year, according to the release.
“The country is more than comfortable in the situation of food stocks and a bumper harvest of wheat is expected,” the official said, adding that there is no need to panic about availability of essential items.
The Centre estimates procuring 30.3 million tonnes of wheat when harvests begin next month and the government has started supplying improved rice, containing up to 10% broken grains, through the public distribution system, a second official said.
The production of pulses and onions in 2025-26 is estimated to register an increase over the previous year due to good monsoon rains and favourable weather conditions, the official said citing the agriculture ministry’s forecast.
The consumer affairs department monitors daily retail and wholesale prices of 22 essential commodities, including rice, wheat, pulses, oils, and vegetables across 555 centres nationwide, where arrivals are normal, the first official said.
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